1 


V.  1 .  V'a  \  6.  t. 


''M 


CHRISTIANITY’S 
SUPREME  ISSUES 


A  STUDY  IN  PERSPECTIVE 


BY 


T.  H.  P.  J^LER 


A  new  plan  for  the  cooperative  study 
of  six  supreme  needs  of  humanity,  based 
on  Bishop  Francis  J.  McConnell’s  book, 
Human  Needs  and  World  Christianity, 
and  on  the  Report  of  the  Jerusalem 
Meeting,  1928 


Price,  twenty-five  cents 

Order  through  denominational  literature  headquarters 


MISSIONARY  EDUCATION  MOVEMENT 
OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  AND  CANADA 

New  York 


I 


i 


MISSIONARY  RESEARCH  LIBRA'. 

Union  Collection 
’  5041  Broadway,  New  York  Oi*. 

1  ..  ■- . -I  -|  ■"  " 


CONTENTS 


1.  THE  PLAN — A  New  Method 


Selection  of  Chairmen  .....  5 

First  Meeting  of  Chairmen  ....  6 

Recruiting  the  Groups  .....  7 

First  Meeting  of  All  the  Groups  ...  8 

Meetings  Preparatory  to  General  Sessions  .  11 

General  Sessions  of  All  the  Groups  .  .  .14 

Subsequent  Meetings  of  Groups  Separately  .  16 

Inter-Group  Consultation  .  .  .  .17 

Practical  Projects  .  .  .  .  .  .18 

II.  THE  MATERIAL 

Introductory  .......  22 

Topics  of  the  Course  with  Outlines  and 
References 

Better  Health  .  .  .  .  .  .26 

More  Wealth  .  .  .  .  .  .30 

Sounder  Knowledge  .  .  .  .  .35 

Larger  Freedom  .  .  .  .  .  .41 

Closer  Fellow.ship  .  .  .  .  .46 

The  Vision  of  God  .  .  .  .  .50 


APPENDIX 

Suggestions  to  Sub-Committee  Members 


54 


1  '•> 


CHRISTIANITY’S  SUPREME  ISSUES 


I.  THE  PLAN— A  NEW  METHOD 

This  plan  differs  in  several  particulars  from  that  which 
has  been  generally  followed  in  “Suggestions  to  Leaders.” 

1.  It  is  less  dependent  on  a  single  textbook.  While  it 
adopts  the  chapter  headings  of  Bishop  Francis  John 
McConnell’s  book,  Human  Needs  and  World  Christianity, 
as  its  main  topics,  it  uses  the  book  as  a  commentary 
together  with  other  reference  material. 

2.  Instead  of  a  single  leader  for  a  course  of  meetings, 
it  organizes  six  sub-committees,  each  to  have  charge  of  a 
session. 

3.  Instead  of  concentrating  for  the  year  on  a  single 
field  or  topic  of  missionary  work,  it  considers  simultane¬ 
ously  six  large  aspects  which  relate  to  the  whole  world, 
home  and  foreign. 

4.  Instead  of  regarding  the  general  sessions  as  a  cul¬ 
mination  of  the  work,  it  considers  them  rather  as  episodes 
in  an  educational  program. 

5.  It  makes  the  sub-committees  responsible  for  con¬ 
tinued  study  and  effort  designed  to  secure  for  their  respec¬ 
tive  subjects  a  more  adequate  place  in  the  educational  pro¬ 
gram  and  activity  of  the  local  church. 

The  plan  as  a  whole  is  more  extended  in  scope,  more 
ambitious  in  aim,  more  elaborate  in  organization,  than 
that  of  the  ordinary  discussion  group.  It  should  not  be 
undertaken  without  careful  study  of  what  it  demands.  It 
may  be  that  many  communities  had  better  not  attempt  it. 
On  the  other  hand,  it  is  open  to  modification.  In  some 


1 


cases  it  may  be  simplified  by  omitting  topics;  in  some  it 
may  be  strengthened  by  adding  new  features.  It  is  not  a 
set  program  to  be  followed  out  in  detail  in  order  to  secure 
credit.  It  is  only  one  of  many  possible  ways  of  promot¬ 
ing  missionary  education  in  the  church  and  making  it 
fruitful.  It  should  be  used  and  revised  in  accordance  with 
this  aim. 

The  dictionary  defines  method  as  systematic  procedure 
for  the  achievement  of  an  end  or  purpose.  Much  of  our 
so-called  method  in  missionary  discussion  has  been  defec¬ 
tive  in  that  it  has  had  only  a  dim  consciousness  of  any 
large  aims.  We  have  been  pushed  from  behind  by  the 
exigency  of  immediate  needs,  rather  than  held  to  a  straight 
course  by  the  vision  of  a  definite  outcome.  Our  groups 
have  gathered  for  discussion  rather  than  achievement. 
The  mere  consideration  of  the  problems  of  the  missionary 
enterprise  has  been  counted  upon  to  create  interest  which 
would  find  its  own  channels  of  self-expression.  These 
hopes  have  sometimes  been  realized.  Individuals  have 
gained  new  insight  and  enthusiasm  which  has  led  to  more 
effective  service.  On  the  other  hand,  much  of  the  steam 
which  has  been  generated  has  never  done  any  work  because 
it  was  not  brought  to  bear  on  something  specific.  The 
results  of  many  missionary  discussion  groups  have  been 
disappointingly  small. 

We  need  to  develop  a  method  with  more  systematic  pro¬ 
cedure  and  more  definite  purpose.  Bishop  McConnell’s 
recent  book,  Human  Needs  and  World  Christianity,  fur¬ 
nishes  an  excellent  background  and  outlook  for  such  a 
method.  Its  six  chapters  treat  in  succession :  Better  Health, 
More  Wealth,  Sounder  Knowledge,  Larger  Freedom, 
Closer  Fellowship,  The  Vision  of  God.  These  are  objec¬ 
tives  for  all  the  world.  It  is  proposed  that  our  method 


2 


shall  take  for  its  aim  the  integration  of  those  objectives 
into  the  educational  program  of  the  local  church. 

It  is  more  than  a  coincidence  that  the  first  meaning  of 
the  word  parochial  given  in  the  dictionary  is  “pertaining  to 
a  parish,”  and  that  the  second  meaning  is  “narrow-minded.” 
The  average  church  is  entirely  too  much  like  a  religious 
club  whose  main  concern  is  its  own  welfare  and  internal 
efficiency.  Christian  loyalty  is  too  often  devotion  to  local 
ecclesiastical  affairs  or  denominational  standards,  instead 
of  to  the  broad  claims  of  the  kingdom  of  God.  The  educa¬ 
tional  curriculum  of  most  churches  does  comparatively 
little  to  correct  this  tendency.  Human  needs  as  seen  from 
the  standpoint  of  world  Christianity  are  treated  only  inci¬ 
dentally.  No  one  would  suppose,  from  an  inspection  of 
the  subject  matter  commonly  considered  in  religious  edu¬ 
cation,  that  these  needs  were  considered  as  supreme  issues. 
To  enlarge  the  perspective  both  of  adult  church  members 
and  the  rising  generation  would  be  a  great  achievement, 
a  blessing  to  the  individual,  the  church,  and  the  world. 

In  substance  the  plan  is  as  follows : 

1.  Six  chairmen  are  secured,  each  to  organize  a  sub¬ 
committee  which  shall  study  and  promote  one  of  the  issues 
presented  in  Bishop  McConneirs  book. 

2.  These  chairmen  are  called  together  for  full  explana¬ 
tion  of  the  plan,  discussion  of  possible  adaptations,  and 
canvass  and  apportionment  of  persons  available  for  com¬ 
mittee  membership. 

3.  Each  chairman  invites  the  members  assigned  him  to 
join  his  group and  makes  arrangements  for  substitutes 
if  any  of  them  are  unable  or  unwilling  to  serve. 

‘  Since  the  word  sub-committee  is  somewhat  cumbersome,  the 
word  group  will  be  used  instead.  The  meeting  of  all  the  groups 
is  the  general  session. 


3 


4.  Each  group  meets  to  consider  the  plan  in  detail,  select 
aspects  of  it  for  individual  study,  and  outline  an  initial  pro¬ 
gram  for  presentation  to  the  other  groups. 

5.  Groups  study  their  respective  assignments  and  inves¬ 
tigate  the  needs  of  the  church  and  community  for  further 
education  on  their  subjects  through  study  and  practical 
effort. 

6.  Groups  reconvene  separately  to  set  up  and  rehearse 
their  programs.  More  than  one  meeting  may  be  necessary 
for  this. 

7.  A  series  of  general  sessions  is  held,  at  each  of 
which  one  group  presents  its  issue  as  a  subject  claiming 
large  recognition  in  the  educational  program  and  activity 
of  the  church. 

8.  The  groups  continue  to  meet  separately  to  plan  for 
further  study  and  for  specific  educational  projects  con¬ 
nected  with  their  issues. 

9.  There  are  combined  meetings  of  the  groups  to  ex¬ 
change  ideas  and  correlate  effort. 

10.  Individuals  and  groups  undertake  in  cooperation 
with  the  local  educational  authorities  projects  to  give  the 
several  issues  the  place  they  deserve  in  religious  education. 

The  plan  is  therefore  not  a  labor-saving  contrivance  nor 
a  variation  for  the  sake  of  mere  novelty.  It  demands  a 
fair-sized  number  of  persons,  able  and  willing  to  work 
and  to  report  intelligently  on  their  efforts.  It  is  highly 
desirable  that  the  pastor  should  be  a  member  of  one  of 
the  groups  as  a  fellow-learner;  also  the  director  of  relig¬ 
ious  education,  if  there  is  one,  and  those  who  are  most 
intelligent  and  active  in  shaping  the  educational  policies. 

Note  that  the  center  of  gravity  is  not  in  the  general  ses¬ 
sions,  as  is  the  case  with  the  ordinary  mission  study  class. 
These  sessions  serve  a  real  purpose,  but  are  properly  only 


4 


episodes.  They  furnish  practical  motivation  for  the  prepa¬ 
ration  of  effective  reports.  Each  group  needs  the  stimulus 
of  having  to  be  ready  at  a  definite  date  with  an  adequate 
presentation  of  its  topic.  The  sense  of  fellowship  with 
other  groups,  or  even  of  friendly  rivalry  with  them,  will 
help  in  securing  work  from  some  who  might  otherwise 
not  exert  themselves.  The  general  sessions  will  enable 
groups  to  test  their  ability  to  present  their  subjects  in  a 
way  that  commands  attention  and  to  obtain  sympathetic 
criticism.  The  groups  thereby  publicly  commit  themselves 
to  responsibility  for  accomplishment.  They  deepen  their 
own  interest  by  defending  a  cause,  and  they  have  an 
opportunity  to  infect  others  with  their  enthusiasm. 

On  the  other  hand,  there  is  danger  that  our  customary 
emphasis  on  meetings  as  ends  in  themselves,  exercises 
which  have  served  their  purpose  when  they  have  attracted 
a  creditable  audience  and  held  their  attention,  may  become 
a  stumbling  block.  It  must  be  clearly  understood  that  the 
general  sessions  are  not  swan  songs,  but  rehearsals  for 
action;  not  occasions  for  the  laying  down  of  arms  with 
honorable  discharge,  but  of  girding  for  more  efficient 
service. 

The  plan  we  propose  may  be  considered  a  failure  if  it 
comes  to  an  end  with  the  termination  of  the  general  ses¬ 
sions,  and  if  each  group  dissolves  as  soon  as  it  has  made 
its  report. 

The  preceding  steps  will  now  be  discussed  in  greater 
detail. 

Selection  of  Chairmen 

It  is  important  that  the  chairmen  should  have  qualities 
of  leadership;  that  they  should  be  persons  who  believe, 
with  Mr.  Dwight  L.  Moody,  that  “it  is  better  to  set  ten 
men  to  work  than  to  do  the  work  of  ten  men.^’  It  is  equally 

5 


important  that  they  should  be  heartily  committed  to  the 
plan.  It  would  be  fatal  if  they  undertook  their  work  with¬ 
out  real  enthusiasm.  If  suitable  individuals  are  not  avail¬ 
able,  it  may  be  better  to  omit  one  or  more  of  the  issues. 
As  early  as  possible,  a  copy  of  this  pamphlet  should  be 
placed  in  the  hands  of  each  chairman. 

First  Meeting  of  the  Chairmen 

The  need  and  value  of  some  such  plan  should  be  dis¬ 
cussed,  together  with  any  modifications  or  improvements. 
Support  by  the  pastor,  the  director  of  religious  education, 
and  other  leaders  of  the  church  will  count  for  much  at  this 
stage.  The  chairmen  should  have  a  clear  perspective  of 
the  function  of  each  step,  and  should  be  helped  to  realize 
the  importance  of  a  long  stern  chase  in  education  in  order 
to  give  the  church  a  world  view  of  human  needs.  Not  oni}^ 
will  others  be  stunted  and  perhaps  lost  without  our  efforts, 
but  we  ourselves  will  become  stunted  and  perhaps  lost  if 
we  do  not  exert  ourselves  to  help. 

Each  chairman  should  select  by  agreement  one  of  the 
issues,  and  a  list  of  members  eligible  for  the  different 
groups  should  then  be  gathered.  Apportionment  must  be 
only  tentative,  as  some  may  decline  to  serve  and  others  may 
prefer  membership  in  some  other  group.  It  is  desirable 
that  two  persons  besides  the  chairman  should  be  secured 
for  each  committee,  but  three  or  more  would  be  better. 

Copies  of  Suggestions  to  Sub-Committee  Members' 
should  be  provided  for  distribution,  and  ways  of  procuring 
a  sufficient  amount  of  reference  material  should  be  dis- 

^  These  Suggestions  appear  in  full  in  the  Appendix  to  this  pam¬ 
phlet  (see  page  54),  and  have  also  been  reprinted  separately  in  leaflet 
form.  It  is  very  important  that  the  chairmen  secure  enough  copies 
to  enable  each  group  member  to  have  one,  inasmuch  as  the  leaflet 
explains  the  scope  of  the  plan,  presents  the  main  questions  for 
study,  and  furnishes  references  on  each  topic. 


6 


cussed.  Bishop  McConneirs  book  will  naturally  be  used 
widely  for  reference.  Since  it  is  addressed  to  those  of  a 
more  thoughtful  type,  it  will  need  to  be  supplemented  by 
more  popular  presentations,  as  well  as  by  further  facts 
and  statistics.  For  serious  study  the  eight- volume  report 
of  the  Jerusalem  Meeting  should  be  accessible;  also  A 
Faith  for  the  World,  by  William  Paton;  The  World  Mis¬ 
sion  of  Christianity,  a  twenty-five  cent  pamphlet  which 
contains  the  findings  of  the  Jerusalem  delegates;  and  Basil 
Mathews’  Roads  to  the  City  of  God,  which  offers  an  inter¬ 
esting  sketch  of  the  conference  and  its  significance.  More 
specific  references  are  given  later  in  the  sections  dealing 
with  the  several  main  topics. 

Chairmen  cannot  begin  too  soon  to  read  up  on  these 
subjects.  They  can  hardly  hope  to  interest  others  in  issues 
of  which  they  themselves  are  ignorant.  They  should  sep¬ 
arate  with  a  feeling  that  if  a  considerable  amount  of  work 
is  being  demanded  of  each  of  them,  it  at  least  promises  to 
be  invested  at  a  higher  rate  of  interest  than  much  of  the 
service  rendered  to  the  church.  At  all  stages  the  point  must 
be  strongly  stressed  that  the  primary  function  of  chairmen 
is  not  to  set  up  a  report  for  the  general  session,  but  to  secure 
continuous  study  in  order  to  give  one  of  the  supreme  issues 
of  Christianity  a  new  place  in  the  educational  program  of 
the  church. 

Recruiting  the  Groups 

It  would  be  remarkable  if  the  membership  of  the  groups 
worked  out  just  as  planned  in  the  preceding  conference.  ' 
Further  consultation  between  chairmen  will  probably  be 
necessary  before  all  the  groups  are  sufficiently  recruited 
and  balanced.  In  inviting  persons  to  join,  care  must  be 
taken  not  to  demand  too  much. 

The  defective  education  which  most  of  us  have  received 

7 


has  created  a  tendency  to  think  of  study  as  a  committing  to 
memory  of  something  in  a  book  for  future  recitation.  It  is 
important  that  group  members  should  understand  that  they 
are  responsible  not  merely  for  a  contribution  to  a  program, 
but  for  learning  all  they  can  about  a  great  issue  and  the 
need  for  it  in  the  educational  curriculum  of  the  church  and 
community.  They  should  try  to  become  enthusiastic  about 
their  topics  so  that  they  will  really  desire  to  interest  others, 
and  should  also,  by  conversation  and  observation,  discover 
whether  children  and  adults  know  what  they  ought  to  know. 
Some  persons  will  be  stimulated  far  more  by  practical 
investigation  than  by  reading. 

Some  may  be  only  stimulated  by  the  prospect  of  con¬ 
tinued  study  and  work;  others  who  would  simply  refuse 
to  sign  up  for  so  much,  may  have  their  interest  aroused 
more  than  they  anticipate  by  fellowship  in  the  groups.  It 
should  be  understood  that  each  group  is  at  liberty  to 
strengthen  itself  by  enlisting  additional  members  tempora¬ 
rily  or  permanently.  Local  physicians,  social  workers,  or 
other  specialists  may  be  drawn  upon  for  advice. 

First  Meeting  of  the  Groups 

This  should  be  held  at  least  two  weeks  before  the  report 
to  the  general  session,  but  preferably  should  convene  much 
earlier  in  order  to  give  plenty  of  time  for  investigation 
and  study.  The  groups  who  are  to  report  first  must  there¬ 
fore  organize  and  get  to  work  at  once.  The  others  will  do 
well  not  to  postpone  but  to  begin  without  delay  the  study 
of  issues  so  rich  in  content.  If  the  members  of  each  group 
can  be  started  reading  and  thinking  on  the  subject  even 
before  the  meeting,  discussion  will  be  more  to  the  point. 

The  amount  of  general  explanation  necessary  will  de¬ 
pend  on  the  understanding  of  the  plan  by  the  members  and 
their  attitude  towards  it.  It  will  be  necessary  to  keep  in 

8 


mind  the  tendency  of  the  average  church  member  to  think 
of  meetings  as  ends  in  themselves.  All  should  understand 
that  the  report  to  the  other  groups  is  only  an  important 
preliminary. 

Each  chairman  should  bring  all  the  explanatory  and  ref¬ 
erence  material  available,  together  with  slips  indicating 
where  more  is  to  be  found.  Some  persons  are  quite  able 
and  willing  to  hunt  in  libraries,  discover  the  best  books, 
pick  out  the  most  useful  material,  and  present  it  in  effec¬ 
tive  form.  Others  will  have  to  have  specific  directions  given 
them,  or  references  actually  placed  in  their  hands. 

It  will  be  well  to  impress  on  members :  First,  that  there 
are  five  other  sub-committees  undertaking  similar  tasks; 
the  sense  of  cooperation  and  desire  not  to  fall  behind  is  a 
great  stimulus  to  some  persons.  Second,  that  the  plan  has 
been  discussed  and  approved  by  the  pastor  and  some  lead¬ 
ing  members  of  the  church.  Third,  that  study  will  introduce 
them  not  only  to  Bishop  McConnell’s  book,  but  to  discus¬ 
sions  on  the  Jerusalem  Meeting  and  a  survey  of  the  sub¬ 
jects  considered  there.  Fourth,  that  the  plan  is  a  new 
experiment  so  that  it  is  always  open  to  criticism  and  im¬ 
provement.  Fifth,  that  the  plan  is  not  a  mere  stunt  but  an 
opportunity  (a)  to  form  intelligent  convictions  on  a  great 
subject;  (b)  to  discuss  these  with  others;  (c)  to  make 
what  is  gained  useful  to  others;  (d)  to  secure  expanding 
achievement  by  incorporating  the  issues  into  the  continuing 
educational  program  of  the  local  church. 

The  issue  assigned  to  the  group  may  now  be  discussed 
to  discover  any  relevant  information  or  interest  which  the 
members  may  have.  Each  of  the  six  topics  covers  a  tre¬ 
mendous  field  which  would  afford  scope  for  study  for 
several  years.  Since  only  limited  aspects  can  be  dealt  with, 
it  will  be  well  to  select  those  which  appeal  most  to  the  sub¬ 
committee  members,  supplementing  in  such  a  way  as  to 


9 


make  an  effective  presentation.  While  the  report  itself  will 
serve  as  an  initial  stimulus,  all  should  understand  that 
they  are  at  work  on  a  subject  and  an  educational  campaign 
rather  than  a  program  for  a  meeting.  The  latter  is  only 
an  appetizer  for  continuous  effort. 

Since  in  many  cases  all  the  groups  will  not  come  together 
preparatory  to  the  first  general  session,  it  may  be  difficult 
for  each  to  furnish  the  members  of  the  other  groups  in¬ 
formation  necessary  for  intelligent  preparation.  The  Sug¬ 
gestions  to  Sub-Committee  Members,  which  should  be 
distributed  to  all  taking  part  in  the  project,  contain  a  gen¬ 
eral  outline  of  treatment,  with  a  few  references  for  each 
session.  This  outline,  focussing  attention  first  on  the  im¬ 
portance  of  the  issue  and  its  demands,  next  on  the  responsi¬ 
bility  of  the  Christian  church  for  it,  and  finally  on  the 
educational  measures  for  meeting  this  responsibility — con¬ 
tains  nothing  that  could  well  be  omitted,  and  yet  is  suffi¬ 
ciently  broad  to  afford  scope  for  considerable  variety  of 
treatment.  Members  should  therefore  be  urged  to  keep  the 
outline  before  them  in  their  study,  and  to  relate  the  material 
they  gather  to  one  or  another  of  its  heads. 

The  reference  material  should  be  distributed  according 
to  the  interests  of  members,  and  ways  of  obtaining  more 
discussed.  Investigation  by  conversation  and  observation 
should  be  recommended.  On  most  of  the  issues  charts  or 
posters  will  be  a  great  help.  Statistics  for  the  former 
should  be  furnished  or  sources  indicated.  The  possibility 
of  enrolling  additional  members  in  the  group,  or  of  secur¬ 
ing  temporary  help  from  outsiders,  should  be  considered. 
Originality  in  planning  should  be  encouraged,  provided  the 
aim  of  the  whole  project  is  thereby  promoted. 

In  some  cases  it  may  be  profitable  to  block  out  the  pro¬ 
gram  for  the  general  session  pretty  definitely  at  this  meet- 


10 


ing.  In  others  it  may  be  evident  that  some  time  must  be 
spent  in  gathering  material  before  the  form  of  its  presenta¬ 
tion  can  be  determined.  In  the  latter  case  it  may  be  neces¬ 
sary  to  have  two  or  more  meetings  of  the  group  before 
the  general  session.  Care  must  be  taken  not  to  dampen  the 
interest  of  members  by  overloading  them  with  work,  but, 
on  the  other  hand,  the  value  of  the  results  sought  for  should 
be  kept  before  them  in  such  a  way  as  to  arouse  the  maxi¬ 
mum  of  effort. 

It  is  hoped  that  the  experiences  of  study,  investigation, 
and  the  presenting  of  the  issue  to  others  will  stimulate 
initiative,  not  only  along  the  lines  suggested  in  this  pam¬ 
phlet  but  in  other  lines.  Any  modification  of  or  supplement 
to  the  plan  here  proposed  is  desirable  if  it  achieves  the  aim 
more  effectively.  Chairmen  are  urged  to  be  on  the  lookout 
for  new  ideas  and  methods,  to  suggest  them  to  other  chair¬ 
men,  and  to  report  successful  experiments  to  the  Mission¬ 
ary  Education  Movement. 

Meetings  Preparatory  to  General  Sessions 

The  function  of  subsequent  conferences  of  the  group  is 
to  rehearse  the  program  for  the  general  session.  If  any  of 
the  general  sessions  have  already  been  held  when  the  group 
meets,  it  will  be  well  to  begin  by  reviewing  them,  and  dis¬ 
cussing  their  strong  and  weak  features  from  the  stand¬ 
point  of  their  ultimate  aim.  Did  they  effectively  promote 
their  purpose  of  winning  for  their  issue  an  adequate  place 
in  the  educational  program  of  the  church,  or  did  they 
merely  send  their  hearers  away  with  the  feeling  that  one 
more  missionary  meeting  had  been  attended? 

In  setting  up  the  program  the  function  of  each  part 
must  be  clearly  appreciated.  How  can  we  help  those  present 
to  form  intelligent  and  deep  convictions  on  the  importance 
of  the  issue?  How  can  we  help  them  to  realize  its  just 

11 


demands  ?  How  can  we  help  them  to  a  sense  of  their  per¬ 
sonal  responsibility  as  members  of  the  Christian  church? 
How  can  we  stimulate  their  enthusiasm  for  an  effective 
educational  campaign? 

The  group  will  need  to  keep  these  practical  objectives 
constantly  in  the  focus  of  their  attention.  Few  character¬ 
istics  of  human  nature  are  more  remarkable  than  the  facil¬ 
ity  with  which  it  loses  sight  of  its  major  purposes.  The 
preacher,  the  teacher,  the  administrator,  the  builder  of 
programs,  each  speedily  becomes  so  immersed  in  details 
that  he  forgets  what  the  details  are  intended  to  achieve. 
With  eyes  fixed  on  the  bow  of  the  boat,  he  neglects  to  look 
up  to  the  stars  to  get  his  bearings.  How  many  programs 
we  have  heard  presented,  made  up  of  exercises  all  fairly 
interesting  but  altogether  lacking  in  a  unified  purpose  and 
drive,  any  one  of  which  could  be  eliminated  without  essen¬ 
tial  loss  and  some  of  which  would  be  positively  good  rid¬ 
dance. 

To  avoid  this  the  group  must  weigh  carefully  the  com¬ 
parative  contribution  of  every  proposed  item,  omitting 
those  which  do  little  or  nothing  to  realize  some  main  aim, 
revising  others  to  increase  their  momentum,  and  arrang¬ 
ing  all  so  as  to  cover  systematically  each  objective.  “What 
are  we  trying  to  accomplish  ?”  “Is  this  feature  worth  the 
time  it  will  take  ?”  are  the  questions  which  should  constantly 
be  asked. 

The  group  now  proceeds  to  take  account  of  stock.  The 
various  members  may  be  asked  to  report  on  their  study 
and  investigation.  Against  the  background  of  the  amount 
of  time  available,  exercises  should  be  selected  and 
arranged.  The  major  desideratum  is  not  to  work  in  some¬ 
how  everything  that  anyone  has  been  able  to  gather  to¬ 
gether,  but  to  decide  how  the  objectives  of  the  session  can 


12 


best  be  realized.  Certain  facts  should  be  placed  at  the 
disposal  of  the  other  groups.  Some  of  these  facts  may  be 
most  effective  in  logical  statements,  some  in  narrative  or 
description  to  stir  imagination,  and  some  in  the  form  of 
charts.  Personal  testimony  as  to  what  has  been  discovered 
by  investigation  should  be  especially  effective.  On  the 
other  hand,  those  of  the  other  groups  to  whom  the  material 
is  presented  should  be  given  opportunity  to  react  on  the 
basis  of  their  general  knowledge,  of  their  reading  of  the 
textbook  or  other  references,  and  of  the  information  just 
laid  before  them.  Where  it  is  practical  to  get  assignments 
into  their  hands  in  advance,  more  specific  questions  for  dis¬ 
cussion  may  be  suggested,  together  with  other  reference 
material  known  to  be  accessible.  Those  who  attend  the 
general  sessions  should  assemble,  not  to  listen  to  a  pro¬ 
gram,  but  to  cooperate  in  a  discussion. 

It  is  highly  desirable  that  the  general  session  should  last 
more  than  an  hour.  An  hour  and  a  half  or  two  hours 
would  be  none  too  long.  If  it  is  impossible  to  secure  more 
than  a  single  hour,  features  that  contribute  less  to  the  main 
aims,  even  though  representing  earnest  and  intelligent 
study  by  particular  members,  must  be  regretfully  omitted. 
The  point  should  be  stressed  that  all  this  material  may  be 
useful  in  the  subsequent  educational  campaign,  even  if  it 
cannot  be  placed  on  exhibit  at  the  general  session. 

A  tentative  timetable  should  be  made  out,  and  each 
member  who  presents  a  statement  or  conducts  an  exercise 
should  be  urged  to  practise  it  within  the  time  limits.  On 
general  principles  all  members  of  the  group  should  have 
some  participation.  The  value  to  them  of  taking  part 
should  be  considered.  On  the  other  hand,  if  members 
differ  markedly  in  ability,  it  will  not  be  necessary  to  insist 
that  all  should  have  an  equally  responsible  part.  The  group 


13 


must  use  its  judgment  to  decide  whether  a  third  confer¬ 
ence  is  advisable  to  complete  the  setup. 

General  Sessions  of  All  the  Groups 

At  each  of  the  general  sessions  there  should  be  a  secre¬ 
tary  appointed  to  record  the  transactions  for  future  refer¬ 
ence,  including,  of  course,  points  of  interest  brought  out 
in  the  discussions.  It  may  help  to  have  a  critic  to  note  con¬ 
structive  suggestions  of  methods  for  the  benefit  of  subse¬ 
quent  sessions.  The  whole  outlook  should  be  towards  the 
future,  with  primary  effort  for  broadening  and  deepening 
interest,  and  a  desire  to  revise  procedure  and  devise  new 
ways  of  getting  results. 

The  first  thing  is  to  enlist  for  the  undertaking  the  sup¬ 
port  and  cooperation  of  everyone  present.  Many  dismal 
failures  occur  at  this  point.  The  chairman  opens  with  a 
prayer  for  general  guidance  and  then  announces  an  exer¬ 
cise,  leaving  it  to  the  hearers  to  infer  the  intention  of  the 
latter.  The  first  speaker  proceeds  to  get  something  off  his 
chest  and  sits  down  with  visible  relief.  The  chairman  next 
calls  for  discussion,  ignoring  the  fact  that  those  present 
have  not  the  slightest  motive  given  them  for  discussing 
anything. 

The  business  of  the  chairman  is  to  help  all  present  to 
attain  the  greatest  mutual  profit.  His  group  has  given 
some  weeks  of  study  to  a  highly  important  subject.  It 
wishes  to  lay  information  and  tentative  conclusions  before 
the  other  groups  for  their  sympathetic  and  constructive 
criticism,  and  to  help  them  in  forming  intelligent  convic¬ 
tions.  The  considerations  that  should  control  selection  of 
material  are :  ( 1 )  How  may  our  presentation  be  enriched 
and  balanced  by  the  contributions  of  the  others  present? 
(2)  How  may  we  help  them  to  reach  for  themselves  such 
clear  and  deep  convictions  as  are  warranted  on  this  issue  ? 

14 


The  chairman  should  therefore  begin  by  stating  clearly 
the  purpose  of  the  meeting,  inviting  cooperation  and  sug¬ 
gestions  at  every  stage;  indicating  that  his  group,  on  the 
one  hand,  desires  the  contributions  of  the  whole  gathering 
and  their  support  in  such  conclusions  as  may  be  agreed 
upon,  and,  on  the  other,  hopes  to  contribute  to  their  out¬ 
look  by  presenting  the  results  of  its  study.  He  may  then 
introduce  a  statement  of  the  importance  of  the  issue  under 
discussion.  This  should  lead  everyone  to  realize  the  large 
significance  of  the  subject  for  the  welfare  of  the  world 
and  the  educational  program  of  the  church.  This  is  propa¬ 
ganda  in  its  best  sense,  without  the  insincerity  or  exaggera¬ 
tion  which  would  ultimately  defeat  its  own  ends — merely 
a  sober  and  earnest  setting  forth  of  facts  which  every 
intelligent  Christian  must  admit.  Unless  the  opening  min¬ 
utes  of  the  session  succeed  in  generating  momentum  and 
giving  it  direction,  all  proceedings  that  follow  will  be 
severely  handicapped. 

If  the  group  proposes  to  limit  discussion  to  some  par¬ 
ticular  phases  of  the  main  issue,  it  will  be  well  to  post 
questions  on  the  blackboard  so  that  all  may  understand 
just  what  matters  are  before  the  house.  Summaries  of 
conclusions  will  also  be  helpful.  The  chairman  should 
indicate  the  bearing  of  each  exercise  and  hold  those  who 
participate  to  the  point  in  a  spirit  of  cooperation.  Digres¬ 
sions  should  be  judged  on  their  merits.  Occasionally  it  may 
be  well  worth  while  to  spend  a  few  minutes  on  some  fresh 
suggestions.  Diversions  by  those  unable  to  think  consecu¬ 
tively  should  be  courteously  ruled  out  of  order. 

Since  the  main  objective  of  the  general  session  is  to 
arouse  interest  and  aid  in  giving  the  issue  in  question  a 
large  place  in  the  curriculum  of  the  church,  there  should 
be  a  strong  appeal  for  further  study  of  it  and  spread  of 

15 


information  in  every  way  possible.  Specific  projects  for 
meeting  community  needs  should  be  presented,  and  the 
most  urgent  world  needs  demanding  support  indicated. 
Naturally,  the  primary  responsibility  for  responding  to 
these  appeals  will  fall  upon  the  group  in  charge  of  it,  but 
the  cooperation  of  all  should  be  solicited. 

An  important  function  of  the  general  session  is  to  cir¬ 
culate  literature.  Books  and  pamplets  should  be  on  hand 
and  should  be  advertised  as  attractively  as  possible.  Mani¬ 
folded  list  of  references  on  the  issue  will  also  help.  The 
effort  should  be  to  send  everyone  away  with  a  realization 
of  past  neglect  and  future  opportunity,  a  desire  to  know 
more  and  to  awaken  the  interest  of  others. 

Subsequent  Meetings  of  Groups  Separately 

In  some  cases  the  groups  may  reconvene  soon  after 
making  their  reports,  to  plan  further  action.  From  the 
great  wealth  of  material  which  could  not  be  treated  at  the 
general  session  they  may  make  up  several  similar  pro¬ 
grams  to  present  to  various  organizations  of  the  church. 
Each  member  should  become  an  enthusiastic  specialist  on 
the  issue  assigned  to  him  or  her,  with  the  resolve  to  be 
its  active  promoter.  Individuals  should  work  out  talks 
or  papers  or  charts,  and  should  undertake  to  read  a  number 
of  the  best  books  on  their  particular  subject.  Some 
may  have  ability  to  work  out  short  courses  for  children, 
young  people,  or  adults.  All  should  plan  projects  for  meet¬ 
ing  local  needs  and  study  the  agencies  most  worthy  of 
support  which  are  promoting  their  respective  issues  in  all 
the  world.  It  will  be  profitable  for  each  to  face  at  stated 
intervals  the  question :  What  have  I  accomplished  for  my 
issue  that  I  would  not  have  done  if  I  had  not  been  a  mem¬ 
ber  of  this  group? 


16 


Inter-Group  Consultation 

Meetings  for  consultation  should  be  held  as  there  is 
need  for  them.  In  some  instances  a  gathering  of  all  the 
groups  may  be  desirable  at  the  very  outset  in  order  to 
develop  interest  through  contagion.  Explanation  of  the 
plan  and  an  inspirational  address  might  be  followed  by  the 
first  session  of  the  groups  meeting  separately.  After  the 
general  sessions  are  over,  another  joint  meeting  might 
take  place  for  inspirational  purposes.  In  other  cases  it 
may  be  hard  to  find  time  for  joint  group  meetings.  But 
it  is  important  that  at  least  representatives  of  the  different 
groups  should  get  together  to  exchange  ideas  and  plan  a 
correlated  campaign.  Those  in  charge  of  the  various 
educational  organizations  of  the  church  should  be  invited 
to  attend,  and  the  services  of  the  groups  offered  to  them. 

At  this  point  some  real  problem  may  emerge.  There  are 
churches  with  large  hospitality  for  volunteer  effort, 
where  anyone  willing  to  contribute  an  attempt  at  edifica¬ 
tion  is  welcome.  There  are  others  for  whom  the  ways  of 
the  past  have  a  halo  of  sanctity,  and  who  resist  anything 
that  savors  of  novelty.  Some  churches  are  loaded  with 
programs  to  the  breaking  point,  and  must  dislodge  some¬ 
thing  already  undertaken  in  order  to  admit  a  new  feature. 
Others,  while  traditional  in  content,  are  fairly  efficient 
from  the  standpoint  of  method,  and  may  decline  any 
proposals  that  seem  lacking  in  technique. 

It  may  be  quite  true  that  the  issues  which  the  groups  have 
been  studying  are  very  inadequately  represented  in  the 
church  curriculum,  and  that  both  children  and  adults  would 
be  more  useful  Christians  if  they  learned  about  these  things. 
Theoretically,  it  ought  to  be  a  great  blessing  to  any  church 
to  have  a  score  or  two  of  intelligent  members  so  much 
interested  in  the  human  needs  of  the  world  that  they  want 


17 


to  share  their  knowledge  with  others.  But  some  of  us  can 
probably  imagine  places  where  we  would  not  receive  much 
encouragement  from  those  in  charge  of  religious  education. 

Such  situations  demand  tact.  In  any  event,  friendly  con¬ 
sultation  is  in  order  and  may  help  to  avoid  friction.  A 
movement  representing  half  a  dozen  groups  which  as  a 
result  of  study  have  arrived  at  real  convictions,  ought  to 
have  weight.  If  they  can  make  a  good  case  for  the  issues, 
they  may  obtain  assurance  for  the  coming  year  if  not  for 
the  current  one.  It  may  be  that  in  order  to  do  effective 
work  they  will  require  several  months  for  preparation. 

Practical  Projects 

These  are  the  real  fruit  of  the  undertaking.  What  does 
it  profit  if  we  have  able  chairmen,  responsive  groups,  hard 
study,  interesting  general  sessions,  careful  carrying  out  of 
all  the  suggestions  up  to  this  point,  and  nothing  further  is 
done?  ‘‘To  know  good  and  to  do  it  not  is  sin.”  We 
organize  our  work  and  promote  our  study,  not  in  order  to 
make  members  of  groups  sealed  depositories  of  informa¬ 
tion,  but  that  they  may  become  active  agents  in  educating 
the  church. 

It  is  desirable  that  the  group  members  should  face  their 
own  responsibilities  before  beginning  to  educate  others. 
The  latter  work  will  be  far  more  effective  if  based  on  per¬ 
sonal  experience. 

Practical  projects  are  of  two  kinds,  those  permitting 
direct  contacts,  and  those  which  may  be  executed  by  proxy. 
Both  afford  unlimited  scope.  All  about  us  there  are  de¬ 
mands  for  personal  helpfulness  which  Christian  people 
should  be  the  first  to  meet.  Most  of  us  are  greatly  restricted 
in  our  contacts  by  social,  economic,  educational,  or  even 
religious  barriers.  Our  daily  routine  and  the  tastes  we 
have  cultivated  throw  us  into  certain  groups  which  supply 

18 


the  great  bulk  of  our  associations.  American  community 
life  in  small  towns  and  great  cities  suffers  greatly  because 
Christians  who  have  been  commissioned  to  be  the  salt  of 
the  earth  and  the  light  of  the  world  do  not  mix  sufficiently 
with  those  who  need  help.  The  bulk  of  effort  in  the 
Christian  church  is  spent  on  internal  organization  rather 
than  on  influencing  surroundings. 

We  need  therefore  just  such  an  incentive  as  this  course 
aims  to  provide  in  the  study  of  our  communities,  to  deter¬ 
mine  what  are  their  problems  connected  with  better  health, 
more  wealth,  sounder  knowledge,  larger  freedom,  closer 
fellowship,  and  the  vision  of  God.  Especially  we  ought  to 
cross  the  boundaries  of  race  and  class  with  a  desire  for 
mutual  acquaintance.  Most  of  us  have  no  difficulty  what¬ 
ever  in  discovering  improvements  to  institute  in  our  own 
households.  If  we  could  view  our  larger  surroundings  in 
the  same  interested  way,  we  should  find  no  end  of  scope  for 
effort. 

These  first-hand  contacts  are  personally  stimulating  and 
are  essential  for  our  best  development.  They  cover,  how¬ 
ever,  only  a  very  small  part  of  our  responsibilities.  Much 
that  needs  to  be  done  even  in  our  own  communities  de¬ 
mands  organization  and  expert  service.  We  must  discharge 
a  large  part  of  our  obligations  by  proxy.  The  necessity  for 
this  becomes  more  clear  when  we  look  out  over  the  world. 
It  would  be  ideal  if  resources  were  so  evenly  distributed 
that  each  locality  could  look  after  its  own  needs.  As  a  mat¬ 
ter  of  fact,  some  places  have  one  hundredfold  the  resources 
of  others.  Therefore  we  must  export  aid.  No  Christian 
responsibilities  are  more  difficult  to  estimate  accurately 
than  these.  Imaginations  are  weak,  so  that  it  is  hard  to 
realize  conditions  that  are  ten  thousand  miles  away.  Preju¬ 
dices  are  strong,  so  that  we  fail  to  sense  our  obligations 


19 


to  those  of  other  races.  Appeals  come  to  us  in  remote,  im¬ 
personal  terms.  As  a  result,  most  of  us  do  far  less  than 
we  should,  certainly  in  proportion  to  what  we  devote  to  our¬ 
selves.  To  keep  a  true  perspective  and  just  sense  of  relative 
human  needs  is  one  of  the  supreme  tasks  of  the  Christian. 

All  our  study  should  reach  out  into  this  active  service. 
Merely  to  pass  along  knowledge  is  not  sufficient.  A  self- 
contained  community  for  mutual  edification  would  be  as 
bad  as  the  desert  island  community  whose  inhabitants  sup¬ 
ported  themselves  by  taking  in  each  other’s  washing. 

On  the  other  hand,  intelligent  direction  of  effort  and  the 
disposition  to  expend  it  call  for  study.  The  groups  should 
plan  a  systematic  educational  campaign  in  the  church. 
What  they  can  do  will  depend  upon  the  character  and  con¬ 
tent  of  their  study  and  investigation,  their  own  abilities,  and 
the  needs  and  opportunities  of  the  local  situation.  The 
simplest  types  of  projects  would  be  presentations  of  facts 
illustrating  present  conditions.  Charts  or  posters  would 
help  to  make  these  much  more  effective.  Sunday  school 
classes  or  departments,  young  people’s  or  adult  organiza¬ 
tions,  might  welcome  such  statements  as  a  supplement  to 
subjects  being  studied.  The  church  should  always  have 
before  it  the  great  facts  of  world  need  as  to  health,  wealth, 
education,  freedom,  fellowship,  and  evangelization.  A  sim¬ 
ilar  project  would  be  a  description  of  some  situation  in  the 
world  today,  presented  so  as  to  stir  the  imagination,  or  a 
narrative  of  some  incident  or  contribution  of  an  individual 
or  organization.  Material  along  these  lines  that  has  been 
found  inspiring  should  be  made  available  to  others.  Some 
group  members  will  be  competent  to  deliver  effective  talks 
combining  these  features.  A  whole  group  may  set  up  a 
program  to  occupy  one  or  more  meetings. 

Still  more  useful  would  be  a  systematic  short  course 


20 


worked  out  and  led  by  someone  with  the  requisite  ability. 
There  is  a  trend  in  religious  education  today  towards  elec¬ 
tive  courses  for  young  people  and  adults.  Groups  often 
meet  during  Lent  or  at.other  times  for  a  brief  series.  Even 
in  the  Sunday  school,  teachers  are  substituting  projects  of 
their  own  for  quarterlies  or  textbooks  that  are  found  un¬ 
satisfactory.  In  such  cases  a  short  course  on  one  or  more 
great  world  needs  would  be  right  to  the  point. 

Persons  who  feel  unable  to  address  audiences  may  or¬ 
ganize  reading  circles  or  distribute  books  and  pamphlets. 
They  may  organize  an  exhibit  of  charts  and  posters  which 
can  be  used  repeatedly  and  will  probably  be  remembered 
much  longer  than  the  ordinary  address.  They  may  arrange 
trips  to  discover  conditions. 

None  of  these  forms  of  service  need  be  restricted  to  the 
congregation  to  which  the  groups  belong.  In  many  local¬ 
ities  churches  are  very  unevenly  supplied  with  workers. 
Those  which  are  better  provided  should  be  willing  to  pool 
resources.  Interchange  of  effort  should  be  more  general 
than  it  is.  Many  persons  who  fail  to  find  adequate  scope 
for  service  in  their  own  church  may  be  of  real  help  else¬ 
where.  The  responsibilities  that  face  us  are  the  task  of 
the  whole  Christian  church,  and  the  whole  church  must  be 
mobilized  to  meet  them. 


21 


II.  THE  MATERIAL 
INTRODUCTORY 

The  following  sections  suggest  some  of  the  topics  that 
might  be  taken  up  under  each  of  the  six  main  headings  of 
this  study  in  preliminary  preparation  and  in  the  presenta¬ 
tion  to  other  groups. 

The  first  aim  in  dealing  with  a  group  should  be  to  arouse 
clear  and  deep  convictions  as  to  the  importance  of  the  issue. 
A  natural  method  would  be  to  begin  by  summing  up  the 
loss  occasioned  in  the  world  today  by  the  neglect  of  this 
issue,  a  loss  which  usually  falls  most  heavily  on  those  least 
able  to  bear  it.  Health,  wealth,  knowledge,  freedom,  fellow¬ 
ship,  vision,  are  all  inadequately  and  unevenly  distributed 
among  mankind.  We  who  are  privileged  are  likely  to  fail 
to  realize  the  extent  to  which  others  are  deprived  of  these 
blessings.  We  need  to  face  the  facts. 

It  is  well  to  take  up  first  a  study  of  local  conditions  and 
those  accessible  communities  where  special  needs  exist. 
This  will  help  to  make  the  issues  concrete  and  practical. 
Supplementary  reading  should  be  suggested  to  guide  this 
investigation  and  make  it  more  significant.  A  survey  of 
national  conditions  should  follow,  noting  what  needs  are 
most  acute  and  why,  and  the  fact  that  recent  changes  are 
operating  to  make  our  social  and  religious  problems  more 
difficult.  Members  should  be  encouraged  to  pursue  any 
topics  which  may  especially  interest  them,  such  as  condi¬ 
tions  among  Negroes,  employment  for  women,  rural  com¬ 
munities,  the  idle  rich,  etc.  Those  without  particular  inter¬ 
ests  should  be  assigned  topics  on  which  investigation  is 
practicable  and  attractive  reference  material  accessible. 


22 


Conditions  among  the  backward  nations  of  the  earth 
should  receive  special  attention.  While  recognizing  sym¬ 
pathetically  the  fine  qualities  of  these  peoples,  we  must 
admit  that  the  poverty  and  illiteracy  of  their  masses,  to 
mention  nothing  more,  have  deprived  them  of  many  priv¬ 
ileges  and  complicated  the  problems  of  their  progress. 
Without  great  care  on  our  part.  Western  civilization  may 
become  a  liability  to  these  peoples  rather  than  an  asset. 

Studies  of  constructive  eflPort  will  have  inspirational 
value.  Attention  should  be  directed  to  the  accomplishments 
of  individuals  or  organizations  in  world  uplift,  and  the 
response  to  opportunities  of  individual  lives  or  communities. 

All  the  groups  should  be  urged  to  sidetrack  other  reading 
as  much  as  possible  during  the  course,  in  order  to  con¬ 
centrate  on  their  respective  issues.  From  the  first  the  prac¬ 
tical  uses  of  the  study  should  be  kept  in  mind.  Suggestions 
as  to  projects  are  always  in  order.  The  more  detailed  dis¬ 
cussion  of  action  will  naturally  come  after  the  importance 
of  the  issue  is  more  fully  realized.  The  members  should 
consider  themselves  as  having  been  designated,  by  virtue 
of  their  study,  trustees  for  practical  accomplishment.  They 
should  organize  plans  for  direct  help  and  for  the  effective 
education  of  the  church. 

These  subjects  have  close  relationships,  with  many  sub- 
topics  in  common.  It  will  be  better  to  treat  the  more  im¬ 
portant  of  these  topics  twice,  from  different  angles,  rather 
than  to  omit  them.  Some  of  the  overlappings  are  as  follows : 

Better  Health  overlaps  with  More  Wealth  in  that  poverty 
affects  health ;  with  Sounder  Knowledge  in  that  health  edu¬ 
cation,  sex  education,  research,  and  mental  hygiene  pro¬ 
mote  health;  with  Larger  Freedom  in  that  industrial  and 
social  conditions  and  political  oppression  affect  health; 
with  Closer  Fellowship  in  that  race  discrimination  may 


23 


affect  health ;  with  the  Vision  of  God  in  that  health  has  a 
place  in  the  ideal  life. 

More  Wealth  overlaps  with  Knowledge  in  that  vocational 
education  and  research  promote  wealth,  and  poverty  hinders 
opportunities  for  study;  with  Freedom  in  that  low  wages 
and  economic  imperialism  affect  freedom ;  with  Fellowship 
in  that  class  consciousness  and  race  antagonisms  are  largely 
based  on  economic  causes,  and  that  relations  to  nationals 
and  to  other  churches  are  often  prejudiced  by  economic 
differences;  with  Vision  in  that  both  poverty  and  wealth 
often  handicap  Christian  development. 

Sounder  Knowledge  overlaps  with  Freedom  in  that 
underprivileged  groups  are  afforded  less  educational  oppor¬ 
tunity,  that  classes  are  educated  differently,  and  that  social 
revolt  is  often  caused  by  demand  for  new  experiences; 
with  Fellowship  in  that  education  is  needed  to  promote 
international,  interracial  and  interclass  goodwill ;  with 
Vision  in  that  religious  education  is  needed  for  Christian 
development. 

Larger  Freedom  overlaps  with  Fellowship  in  that  indus¬ 
trial,  political  and  social  disability  will  be  removed  by 
closer  fellowship,  while  elements  hindering  the  demand  for 
larger  freedom  may  obstruct  it;  with  Vision  in  that  the 
denial  of  desirable  freedom  hinders  religious  development. 

Closer  Fellowship  overlaps  with  Vision  in  that  it  pro¬ 
motes  the  vision  of  God. 

The  references  which  accompany  each  subject  consti¬ 
tute  a  very  small  part  of  those  that  might  easily  be  men¬ 
tioned.  It  was  felt  that  lists  should  not  be  so  long  as  to 
be  confusing,  but  that  they  should  afford  some  suggestion 
for  the  study  of  a  variety  of  sub-topics.  Moreover,  except 
where  large  libraries  are  within  reach,  a  portion  of  each 
list  will  probably  not  be  obtainable.  Each  leader  should 


24 


therefore  (1)  look  over  his  list  with  care  and  select  from 
it  what  would  seem  to  be  an  adequate  working  book  shelf ; 
(2)  discover  whether  the  references  are  accessible  in  pub¬ 
lic  or  private  libraries;  (3)  supplement  from  other  refer¬ 
ences  on  the  list  or  from  other  available  sources ;  (4)  have 
on  hand,  to  be  distributed  at  the  first  meeting  of  the  group, 
these  references  or  instructions  how  to  obtain  them.  While 
many  groups  may  be  able  to  consult  only  a  few  refer¬ 
ences,  the  value  of  the  project  will  be  greatly  increased  by 
thoughtful  collateral  reading. 


25 


•rOPICS  OF  THE  COURSE 
With  Outlines  and  References 


BETTER  HEALTH 

Purpose,  To  discover  to  what  extent  health  conditions 
are  short  of  ideal  all  over  the  world,  to  learn  of  preventive 
measures,  and  the  responsibility  of  the  Christian  church 
for  improving  conditions. 

Some  persons  consider  health  a  more  or  less  secular  sub¬ 
ject.  They  think  that  the  physical  should  not  be  placed 
on  the  same  level  with  the  spiritual.  The  Jerusalem  Meet¬ 
ing  did  not  make  this  one  of  the  main  issues  to  which  it 
gave  its  attention.  But — 

1.  This  issue  was  evidently  of  large  importance  in  the 
mind  of  Christ,  as  is  seen  from  his  works  of  healing,  the 
story  of  the  Good  Samaritan,  and  the  parable  in  Matt. 
25  :31  ff.  Christ  did  not  consider  that  physical  ills  were  to 
be  let  alone  as  the  will  of  God. 

2.  There  is  in  the  world  today  a  tremendous  amount 
not  only  of  physical  pain  but  of  inefficiency  resulting  from 
ill  health.  Individuals  are  unable  to  render  the  service  they 
otherwise  might.  They  are  a  tax  on  their  families,  and  a 
loss  to  the  organizations  with  which  they  are  connected. 
The  amount  of  loss  due  to  temporary  absence  from  work, 
premature  death,  and  lessened  efficiency,  has  been  esti¬ 
mated  at  three  billion  dollars  per  annum  in  the  United 
States  by  Davis  and  Barnes  in  Introduction  to  Sociology 
(page  736),  and  by  Dublin  in  Health  and  Wealth  at  twice 
this  amount.  About  half  of  this  loss  is  preventable.  We 


26 


must  add  the  money  spent  by  individuals  and  institutions  in 
efforts  to  aid  the  restoration  of  health.  While  illness  may 
sometimes  be  a  means  of  grace,  on  the  other  hand  it  may 
also  have  unfavorable  effect  on  the  patients  themselves  or 
on  those  taxed  with  their  care.  Children  are  frequently 
deprived  of  opportunities  for  development,  either  by  their 
own  illness  or  by  the  illness  or  disability  of  their  parents. 

The  burden  of  ill  health  is  especially  borne  by  those 
without  knowledge  of  hygiene  or  sanitation  or  diet,  under¬ 
nourished,  oppressed  by  superstition  or  evil  social  cus¬ 
toms,  engaged  in  injurious  occupations,  forced  to  live  in 
unfavorable  surroundings,  too  poor  to  obtain  medical  aid 
or  other  means  of  building  up  health. 

There  should  be  investigation  of  local  health  conditions, 
knowledge  and  practice  of  sanitation  and  hygiene,  and 
location  of  the  most  urgent  needs.  The  information  and 
interest  of  church  members  on  this  subject  should  be 
canvassed. 

The  backward  regions  of  the  world  and  the  less  favored 
races  and  classes  in  our  own  country  come  under  this 
head.  Apart  from  anything  that  could  be  called  illness, 
multitudes  are  far  below  their  maximum  efficiency  on 
account  of  inadequate  physical  development.  Many  whose 
opportunities  are  normal,  lower  or  waste  their  physical 
vitality  from  lack  of  exercise  or  over-exercise,  unwise 
diet,  ignorance  of  sex  hygiene,  use  of  drugs,  stimulants, 
or  narcotics,  disregard  of  hygiene  and  sanitation  in  other 
ways.  There  is  also  the  factor  of  unnecessary  mental 
abnormality  which  has  an  injurious  effect  on  health. 

There  should  be  study  of  comparative  conditions  in  the 
world  today  to  determine  where  remedial  and  preventive 
health  work  is  most  needed.  This  study  should  include 
statistics  as  to  comparative  infant  mortality  and  death 

27 


rates  of  different  localities,  as  affected  by  differences  in 
incomes,  occupations,  medical  and  hospital  facilities,  oppor¬ 
tunities  for  knowing  and  practising  the  laws  of  health. 
These  facts  may  be  presented  by  means  of  charts  and 
descriptions  that  will  appeal  to  the  imagination. 

A  summary  of  conditions  of  modern  life  making  for 
the  improvement  or  impairment  of  health  and  affecting 
different  groups  will  be  in  order. 

The  conditions  in  backward  countries  should  be  studied 
in  some  detail,  with  the  help  of  the  references  given  below. 

The  constructive  effort  being  made  all  over  the  world 
should  also  be  studied,  especially  the  work  of  medical 
missions,  famine  relief,  government  and  private  agencies, 
and  research. 

It  will  be  evident  from  this  study  that  privileges  are 
very  unequally  provided.  Where  can  we  find  the  motive 
for  redressing  these  inequalities,  if  not  in  the  spirit  of 
Christ  ? 

References 

ON  CONDITIONS  IN  THIS  COUNTRY 

Moore:  Public  Health  in  the  United  States. 

Moore:  American  Medicine  and  the  People’s  Health. 

Dublin :  Health  and  Wealth. 

Davis  and  Barnes :  Introduction  to  Sociology,  part  IV,  ch.  3, 
giving  important  facts  with  charts  and  a  bibliography. 

Queen  and  Mann :  Social  Pathology,  part  III,  which  also  contains 
a  bibliography. 


ON  OCCUPATIONAL  DISEASES 

Douglas,  Hitchcock  and  Atkins :  The  Worker  in  Modern  Eco¬ 
nomic  Society,  ch.  15. 

ON  HEALTH  CONDITIONS  IN  OTHER  COUNTRIES,  AND  MEDICAL 

AND  MISSIONARY  WORK 

Moorshead:  The  Way  of  the  Doctor. 

Schweitzer :  On  the  Edge  of  the  Primeval  Forest. 


28 


Pennell:  Among  the  Wild  Tribes  of  the  Afghan  Frontier. 

Neve :  A  Crusader  in  Kashmir,  chs.  7-15, 

Report  of  the  Shanghai  Conference  of  1922,  index  under  Health, 
Medical  Program  and  Work. 

Balme  :  China  and  Modern  Medicine. 

The  Christian  Movement  in  Japan,  1924,  Korea  section,  ch,  4; 

1925,  Korea  section,  part  IV ;  1926,  Korea  section,  part  V. 
China  Mission  Year  Book,  1924,  part  VIII;  1925,  part  VIII;  1926, 
part  VII ;  1928,  part  VII. 

Gamble  and  Burgess :  Peking,  A  Social  Survey,  ch.  6,  Health. 
Fleming:  Building  With  India,  ch.  2. 

Mears :  Modern  Turkey,  ch.  7,  Public  Health. 

Laubach :  The  People  of  the  Philippines,  ch.  28. 

International  Review  of  Missions,  October,  1927,  Preventive  Medi¬ 
cine  and  Medical  Missions;  January,  1928,  The  Work  of  Medi¬ 
cal  Missions;  January,  1929,  The  Battle  Against  Sleeping 
Sickness  in  the  French  Cameroun. 

PAMPHLETS 

Gruenberg :  Sex  Education.  Child  Study  Association  of  America. 
The  following  published  by  the  American  Social  Hygiene  Asso¬ 
ciation  : 

Exner :  The  Sex  Factor  in  Character  Training. 

Armstrong  :  Sex  in  Life. 

Gruenberg:  The  Teacher  and  Sex  Education. 

Gardiner:  Your  Daughter’s  Mother. 

Edson  :  Training  Youth  for  Parenthood. 

Galloway:  The  Part  of  the  Church  in  Social  Hygiene. 
Brown:  Child  Questions  and  Their  Answers. 

The  Boy  Problem. 

Edson :  Choosing  a  Home  Partner. 

Edson :  Love  in  the  Making. 

The  following  published  by  the  National  Health  Council : 

Minor:  What  You  Should  Know  About  Tuberculosis. 
Bacon:  What  Bad  Housing  Means  to  the  Co?nmunity. 
Veiller  :  Housing  and  Health. 

Pratt:  Your  Muvd  and  You. 

Campaign  Against  Malnutrition. 

Team  Work  for  Child  Health.  American  Child  Health  Asso¬ 
ciation, 

Better  Houses  for  Negro  Homes.  Federal  Council  of  Churches, 
Statistical  bulletins  of  the  Metropolitan  Life  Insurance  Company. 


29 


MORE  WEALTH 


Purpose.  To  discover  the  ways  in  which  poverty  and 
the  concentration  of  wealth  are  affecting  mankind  today, 
and  the  responsibility  of  the  Christian  church  for  con¬ 
structive  effort  in  this  field. 

Why  is  this  a  supreme  issue? 

Because  so  many  individuals  and  nations  suffer  from 
the  pressure  of  poverty,  and  because  multitudes  are  sub¬ 
normal  in  health  for  lack  of  the  proper  nutrition,  medical 
care,  and  recreation  which  wealth  would  supply.  Multi¬ 
tudes  in  the  more  backward  nations  are  deprived  of  school¬ 
ing  because  their  governments  are  too  poor  to  provide  it 
for  more  than  a  fraction  of  the  population;  many  others 
all  over  the  world  receive  only  the  most  elementary  educa¬ 
tion  because  they  must  go  to  work  as  soon  as  they  can. 
Poverty  hampers  freedom  in  that  it  separates  races  and 
classes  and  deprives  them  of  many  privileges  which  others 
enjoy.  It  hinders  fellowship  for  the  same  reasons.  In  one 
sense  poverty  cannot  impede  the  vision  of  God ;  in  another 
it  may  prevent  many  experiences  that  would  stimulate 
Christian  growth. 

We  may  sum  up  by  saying  that  the  majority  of  the 
world’s  population  are  living  below  what  are  considered 
normal  standards,  and  that  a  very  considerable  part  is 
habitually  undernourished :  indeed  the  bulk  of  mankind  is 
intensely  preoccupied  with  mere  subsistence.  Poverty 
often  results  in  the  stunting  of  physical,  mental,  moral 
and  spiritual  growth,  leading  to  disease,  vice,  crime,  super¬ 
stition,  illiteracy,  social  isolation  or  herding,  inferiority 
complexes,  class  antagonism,  and  lack  of  spiritual  stimu- 


30 


lus.  On  the  other  hand,  great  wealth  often  leads  to  indul¬ 
gence,  extravagance,  luxury,  unwholesome  standards  of 
living,  fashions  in  dress  which  react  harmfully  on  other 
classes,  exaltation  of  profits,  class  prejudices,  and  cal¬ 
lousness  as  to  the  lot  of  the  less  privileged. 

Wealth  has  been  defined  as  goods  which  satisfy  human 
wants,  are  limited  in  supply,  and  are  external  to  man. 
From  these  goods  satisfactions  flow.  Income  is  this  flow. 

We  should  first  note  incomes  in  the  United  States  and 
compare  them  with  those  in  other  countries  (cf.  Incomes 
in  the  United  States,  Mitchell,  King,  et  al.,  ch.  2,  especially 
69-80,  81  ff.). 

What  should  be  the  Christian  attitude  towards  such  a 
world  situation? 

Note  how  incomes  are  distributed  in  the  United  States 
{Incomes  in  the  United  States,  ch.  3).  In  1918-1919  the 
most  prosperous  one  per  cent  of  the  population  received 
fourteen  per  cent  of  the  total  income,  and  the  most  pros¬ 
perous  ten  per  cent  received  thirty-five  per  cent  of  the 
total  income.  In  1918  only  fourteen  per  cent  of  persons 
gainfully  employed  were  estimated  to  have  incomes  of 
two  thousand  dollars  per  annum,  while  eighty-six  per  cent 
had  less  (p.  146).  Only  one  per  cent  received  eight  thou¬ 
sand  dollars  per  annum  or  more  (p.  147). 

Some  of  the  principal  characteristics  of  present-day 
wealth  production  are  power-driven  machinery,  specializa¬ 
tion  of  labor,  large-scale  production,  an  intricate  exchange 
mechanism  including  railroads,  credit,  middlemen,  etc. ; 
and  competition  based  on  the  profit  motive,  the  primary 
aim  being  to  make  money  rather  than  to  make  goods. 

Resulting  disadvantages  from  this  system  are  as  fol¬ 
lows  :  (1)  specialized  mechanical  processes  of  manufacture, 
so  that  workers  are  mere  machines;  (2)  inequalities  of 


31 


opportunity  for  those  without  capital;  (3)  unemployment, 
especially  severe  in  cycles  of  depression;  (4)  tremendous 
waste  of  industry  in  the  exploitation  of  resources,  adver¬ 
tising,  useless  middlemen,  etc.;  (5)  complexity  of  modern 
organization,  rendering  correction  of  abuses  difficult;  (6) 
control  of  the  profit  motive  which  undertakes  to  sell 
goods  rather  than  serve  customers ;  (7)  diversion  of  capital 
to  luxuries  rather  than  necessities;  and  (8)  wild  specu¬ 
lation. 

These  conditions  will  not  solve  themselves.  While  they 
demand  prolonged  study  by  experts,  they  demand  also  con¬ 
stant  cooperation  of  men  of  goodwill.  Christian  people 
must  very  much  more  generally  recognize  their  responsi¬ 
bility  for  the  production  of  goods  most  necessary,  with 
the  primary  motive  of  service ;  for  distribution  in  the  form 
of  reasonable  profits  and  just  wages;  for  consumption  in 
the  form  of  the  wise  expenditure  of  money. 

The  study  should  begin  with  local  conditions.  Knowl¬ 
edge  of  the  actual  incomes  on  which  some  families  are 
forced  to  live  may  create  a  new  perspective.  Typical  situa¬ 
tions  in  the  United  States  should  be  taken  up,  and  finally, 
those  in  other  countries,  especially  those  which  are  most 
oppressed  by  poverty.  These  last  should  be  made  real  by 
appeals  to  the  eye  and  the  imagination — statistical  charts, 
descriptions,  narratives.  The  great  rural  problems  of  the 
Orient  and  Africa  should  be  studied. 

In  this  connection  the  subject  of  economic  imperialism 
should  receive  special  attention.  Western  capital,  repre¬ 
senting  the  product  of  power-driven  machinery,  applied 
science,  and  a  highly  developed  credit  system,  seeks  raw 
materials  and  new  markets.  In  so  doing  it  enters  regions 
densely  populated  by  poverty-stricken  and  illiterate  popu¬ 
lations  who  invite  exploitation  as  cheap  labor. 

32 


There  should  be  a  study  of  various  forms  of  construc¬ 
tive  social  measures :  labor  legislation,  organized  philan¬ 
thropy,  vocational  education,  income  and  inheritance 
taxes,  profit  sharing,  etc. 

Great  numbers  of  professing  Christians,  well  disposed 
and  anxious  to  do  the  right  thing,  are  ignorant  of  the 
conditions  that  exist,  convinced  that  things  are  as  well  as 
could  be  expected,  borrowing  their  ideas  and  practice  from 
tradition  and  from  their  own  ill-informed  social  group. 
The  church  must  stir  itself  to  help  these  people  to  educate 
themselves.  It  must  correct  the  noxious  prejudices  that 
our  young  people  acquire  all  too  soon,  and  try  to  create  a 
social  attitude  worthy  of  the  Christian  name.  The  group 
should  formulate  specific  plans  along  this  line. 

References 

GENERAL  SURVEYS 

Recent  Economic  Changes  in  the  United  States  (The  report  of 
President  Hoover’s  conference  on  unemployment). 

Davis  and  Barnes :  Introduction  to  Sociology,  part  IV,  ch.  5, 
bibliography. 

Douglas,  Hitchcock  and  Atkins:  The  Worker  in  Modern  Eco¬ 
nomic  Society,  chs.  9-10. 

Clay  (revised  by  Agger)  :  Economics  for  the  General  Reader, 
chs.  24-25. 

Tawney:  The  Acquisitive  Society. 

Queen  and  Mann:  Social  Pathology,  part  H,  bibliography, 
Tugwell,  Monro  and  Str3'-ker :  American  Economic  Life,  books 
I  and  1 1. 

Hobhouse,  ed. :  Property,  Its  Rights  and  Duties. 

Lynd:  Middletown,  chs.  7  and  8. 

Martin:  Christ  and  Money. 

Rowntree :  Poverty. 

Hunter :  Poverty. 

Williams :  Mainsprings  of  Men. 

Fitch:  Causes  of  Economic  Unrest. 

Devine :  Misery  and  Its  Causes. 


33 


ON  THE  PRODUCTION  OF  WEALTH 


Tugwell:  Industry’s  Coming  of  Age,  chs.  1-2. 

Ogburn,  ed. :  Recent  Social  Changes,  pp.  43-53. 

Taylor:  Making  Goods  and  Making  Money. 

Chase:  The  Tragedy  of  Waste. 

ON  DISTRIBUTION 

Mitchell,  King  and  Macaulay:  Wealth  and  Income  of  the  People 
of  the  United  States,  pp.  69  ff. 

Fairchild  and  Compton :  Economic  Problems,  ch.  7. 

Foster  and  Catchings :  The  Dilemma  of  Thrift.  (Pamphlet  of 
the  Poliak  Foundation,  free.) 

ON  CONSUMPTION 

Hoyt:  The  Consumption  of  Wealth,  especially  chs.  1,  9,  13,  22, 
26,  27. 

Chase  and  Schlink:  Your  Money’s  Worth,  especially  chs.  1,  3,  6-8. 
Chase:  The  Tragedy  of  Waste. 

ON  FUTURE  DEVELOPMENTS 

Tugwell:  Industry’s  Coming  of  Age,  ch.  7. 

Ward :  Our  Economic  Morality,  ch.  8. 

ON  OTHER  COUNTRIES 

China  Mission  Year  Book,  1927,  pp.  297-308. 

Hodgkin :  China  in  the  Family  of  Nations,  ch.  9. 

Report  of  the  Shanghai  Conference  of  1922,  pp.  164-167. 

Gamble  and  Burgess :  Peking,  A  Social  Survey,  ch.  9. 

Fleming:  Building  With  India,  ch.  2. 

Chirol :  India,  ch.  10. 

Phillips:  The  Out  caste’s  Hope. 

Higginbottom :  The  Gospel  and  the  Plow,  ch.  2. 

Zimand :  Living  India,  ch.  9. 

Kelman :  Labor  in  India. 


34 


SOUNDER  KNOWLEDGE 


Purpose.  To  discover  how  sounder  knowledge  may  con¬ 
tribute  to  the  welfare  of  all  the  world,  and  the  responsi¬ 
bility  of  the  church  for  promoting  it. 

Why  is  this  a  supreme  issue  ? 

Because  education  is  so  fundamental.  All  the  other 
objectives  that  we  are  discussing — health,  wealth,  freedom, 
fellowship,  vision — fail  of  their  best  realization  unless 
they  are  promoted  by  educational  methods.  Consider  the 
health  and  efficiency  loss  in  the  world  today  for  lack  of 
adequate  knowledge  of  hygiene  and  sanitation,  and  of 
research  for  dealing  with  unconquered  diseases ;  the  eco¬ 
nomic  loss  due  to  lack  of  vocational  education  and  gui¬ 
dance  and  of  the  scientific  study  of  economic  problems ; 
the  loss  of  freedom  on  account  of  social  and  economic 
ignorance,  and  the  prejudice  which  an  ideal  education 
might  remove;  the  loss  of  fellowship  between  races  and 
classes  due  to  the  same  causes;  the  loss  in  the  vision  of 
God  because  our  religious  education  has  been  so  inadequate. 

When  the  word  education  is  mentioned,  most  persons 
still  think  of  something  that  goes  on  in  schoolrooms  and 
ends  with  commencement  exercises  and  a  diploma.  Be¬ 
cause  this  process  recalls  drudgery  over  tasks  remote  from 
life  and  soon  forgotten,  many  regard  it  as  a  merely  con¬ 
ventional  preliminary  to  the  real  business  of  living.  But 
in  the  first  place,  education  is  much  broader  than  school¬ 
ing.  It  begins  before  we  enter  school,  and  should  continue 
as  long  as  our  mind  can  function.  It  comes  through  any 
channel  v/hich  helps  us  to  profit  by  our  experiences.  With- 


35 


out  it  we  are  cases  of  arrested  development.  The  bulk  of 
the  mistakes  in  this  world  are  made  because  people  lack 
the  training  to  manage  their  lives  and  to  meet  their  respon¬ 
sibilities. 

In  the  second  place,  all  schools  are  not  so  poor  as  the 
ones  we  attended.  During  the  last  few  decades  educational 
theory  has  attracted  some  of  our  best  thinkers,  and  their 
ideas  are  more  and  more  being  translated  into  practice. 
We  have  three  types  of  schools :  the  traditional,  which 
make  only  the  changes  that  they  must;  the  progressive, 
which  welcome  new  ideas  but  are  restricted  by  the  demands 
of  the  large  system  of  which  they  are  a  part;  and  the 
experimental,  which  are  free  to  consider  all  ideas  and  any 
methods  which  may  in  their  judgment  promote  the  indi¬ 
vidual’s  development.  The  last  two  types  are  viewing 
education  not  as  a  mastery  of  formal  facts  and  processes, 
but  as  the  agency  for  helping  to  fulfil  life’s  opportunities, 
present  and  future.  There  is  a  pretty  general  consensus  of 
the  leading  educational  writers  that  the  following  five 
headings  would  cover  the  principal  objectives  of  educa¬ 
tion  :  physical  health ;  vocational  efficiency ;  wise  use  of 
leisure ;  effective  social  cooperation ;  moral  and  spiritual 
idealism.  These  points  are  differently  arranged  and  worded 
by  different  writers. 

Moreover,  in  these  days  when  home  and  community  life 
is  often  less  educative  than  it  should  be,  the  school  under¬ 
takes  to  make  good  its  deficiencies.  In  localities  where 
homes  neglect  physical  oversight,  the  school  provides 
lunches,  medical  examination,  baths  and  dental  care,  etc. 
Since  recreation  facilities  are  often  lacking,  it  stresses 
athletics,  entertainments,  clubs,  etc.  Since  the  intellectual 
atmosphere  of  the  home  is  frequently  listless,  the  school 
stimulates  reading,  debates,  and  hobbies.  It  is  wrestling 


36 


with  the  difficult  problems  of  vocational  education  on  the 
one  hand,  and  moral  and  religious  education  on  the  other. 
Persons  whose  own  education  was  mainly  old-fashioned 
and  academic  are  surprised  to  learn  of  all  the  new  ideas 
that  have  been  thought  out  and  put  into  practice  in  the  last 
thirty  years,  and  especially  in  the  last  fifteen. 

Contrast  the  present  educational  opportunities  with  those 
of  one  hundred  or  even  fifty  years  ago  (cf.  Moore,  Fifty 
Years  of  American  Education ;  Cubberley,  History  of  Edu¬ 
cation,  Readings  in  the  History  of  Education,  Public  Edu¬ 
cation  in  the  United  States,  Changing  Conceptions  of 
Education;  Reisner,  Natiofialism  and  Education  Since 
1789 ;  Kandel,  Twenty-five  Years  of  American  Education) . 
It  will  be  apparent  that  the  modern  world  is  turning  more 
and  more  to  education  as  the  main  agency  in  social  progress. 
But  at  the  same  time  that  the  value  of  education  is  being 
more  demonstrated  and  appreciated,  there  is  no  assurance 
that  it  is  materially  catching  up  with  its  job.  New  things 
to  learn  emerge  faster  than  old  things  are  mastered,  so  that 
in  some  respects  the  present  generation  is  less  competent 
to  guide  itself  than  the  one  that  is  past.  This  is  especially 
true  on  the  side  of  ideals  and  insights  into  our  more  com¬ 
plex  problems.  (Cf.  Middletown,  chs.  13-17,  inclusive,  and 
27,  for  a  picture  of  the  sort  of  education  which  great  multi¬ 
tudes  of  Americans  are  getting  today ;  chs.  20-23,  inclusive, 
for  an  estimate  of  how  far  we  yet  are  from  providing 
effective  religious  education.) 

In  this  country  the  provision  of  educational  facilities 
varies  greatly  in  different  regions  (Finney,  A  Sociological 
Philosophy  of  Education,  p.  516).  Moreover,  poverty  or 
lack  of  leisure  hinders  many  from  taking  the  fullest  advan- 
tage  of  the  educational  opportunities  that  exist.  A  com¬ 
parison  of  local  taxes  and  other  expenditures  for  secular 


37 


education  with  the  money  spent  on  religious  education 
may  be  interesting. 

When  we  turn  to  the  backward  countries  of  the  earth,  we 
find  on  the  one  hand  an  appalling  mass  of  poverty,  illiteracy, 
and  ignorance  (cf.  statistics  in  such  references  as  the 
Statesman's  Year  Book,  World  Almanac,  etc.),  and  on  the 
other  a  great  stirring  of  enthusiasm  for  education  as  a 
means  of  solving  national  problems.  The  study  of  the 
present  educational  situation  in  the  Orient  is  a  fascinating 
task.  When  in  1905  the  yellow  nation  that  had  most  con¬ 
spicuously  cultivated  education,  Japan,  defeated  the  white 
nation  that  had  most  conspicuously  neglected  education, 
Russia,  an  electric  thrill  shot  through  the  darker  masses  of 
mankind.  Here  was  demonstrated  that  a  tinted  skin  did 
not  condemn  people  to  a  position  of  inferiority.  By  means 
of  education  they  might  beat  the  white  race  at  their  own 
game.  Since  that  time  Asiatic  leaders  have  been  keen  for 
education.  In  many  ways  their  problems  are  immensely 
greater  and  more  complex  than  ours  and  deserve  our  most 
earnest  Christian  sympathy.  Their  health,  wealth,  free¬ 
dom,  fellowship,  and  vision  are  all  largely  dependent  on 
the  right  sort  of  education. 

On  some  such  basis  as  this  let  the  group  determine  the 
responsibility  of  the  Christian  church  in  promoting  desir¬ 
able  forms  of  education  in  all  the  world,  also  practical  pro¬ 
jects  that  might  be  undertaken,  and  an  educational  program 
for  the  local  church  that  will  make  them  effective. 

References 

GENERAL  SURVEYS 

Chapman  and  Counts :  Principles  of  Education,  especially  part  III. 
Peters :  Foundations  of  Educational  Sociology. 

Kilpatrick:  Education  for  a  Changing  Civilisation. 

38 


BRIEF  POPULAR  TREATMENTS 

de  Lima:  Our  Enemy  the  Child. 

Lewis :  Democracy’s  High  School. 

ACCOUNTS  OF  INTERESTING  EXPERIMENTS 

Hinsdale :  Life  of  Horace  Mann. 

E.  Dewey :  New  Schools  for  Old. 

Collings ;  Experiment  With  a  Project  Curriculum. 

Rugg  and  Shumaker :  The  Child-Centered  School. 
Tippett:  Curriculum  Making  in  the  Elementary  School. 
Campbell :  The  Danish  Folk  School. 

ON  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

Coe:  A  Social  Theory  of  Religious  Education. 

Soares :  Religious  Education. 

Barbour :  Making  the  Bible  Desired. 

Shaver :  The  Project  Principle  in  Religious  Education. 
The  Teaching  Work  of  the  Church.  (Association  Press.) 

ON  MORAL  TRAINING 

Neumann :  Education  for  Moral  Growth. 

Charters:  The  Teaching  of  Ideals. 

ON  ADULT  EDUCATION 

Peffer :  New  Schools  for  Older  Students. 

Fisher:  Why  Stop  Learning? 

ON  NEGRO  EDUCATION 

Washington:  Up  From  Slavery. 

Peabody  :  Education  for  Life. 

ON  CHILD  STUDY 

Gruenberg :  Outline  of  Child  Study. 

Johnson:  Children  in  the  Nursery  School. 

Chave:  The  Junior. 


ON  ADOLESCENCE 

Hollingworth :  Psychology  of  the  Adolescent. 
Burt:  The  Young  Delinquent. 


39 


ON  EDUCATION  IN  AFRICA  AND  THE  ORIENT 

Christian  Movement  in  Japan,  1924,  part  III,  Korea  section,  ch.  3 ; 
1925,  ch.  14,  Korea  section,  part  III ;  1926,  ch.  8,  pp.  95-99, 
Korea  section,  part  IV;  1927,  part  III;  Japan  Mission  Year 
Book,  1928,  part  II,  pp.  272-284. 

Burton:  Education  of  Women  in  Japan. 

Report  of  the  Shanghai  Conference  of  1922,  pp.  112-121,  288-310, 
369-399. 

China  Mission  Year  Book,  1924,  part  VII;  1925,  part  VII;  1926, 
part  V ;  1928,  part  V. 

Gamble  and  Burgess :  Peking,  A  Social  Survey,  chs.  7  and  9. 

China  Today  Through  Chinese  Eyes,  Second  Series,  chs.  3,  5,  7, 
8,  9. 

Christian  Education  in  China.  (The  report  of  a  commission  repre¬ 
senting  British  and  American  missionary  agencies.) 

Burton:  Education  of  Women  in  China. 

Mayhew :  The  Education  of  India. 

Fleming:  Schools  With  a  Message  in  India. 

Village  Education  in  India.  (The  report  of  a  commission  of 
British  and  American  mission  board  representatives.) 

Olcott :  Village  Schools  in  India. 

Chirol:  India,  ch.  8. 

Monroe :  A  Survey  of  the  Educational  System  in  the  Philippine 
Islands. 

Laubach :  The  People  of  the  Philippines,  book  3. 

Jones:  Education  in  Africa. 

Jones:  Education  in  East  Africa. 

Loram :  The  Education  of  the  South  African  Native. 

Christian  Education  in  Africa  and  the  East. '  Student  Christian 
Movement. 

International  Review  of  Missions:  January,  1928,  The  Outlook  of 
Christian  Education  in  China;  July,  1928,  The  Jerusalem  Meet¬ 
ing  and  the  Man  in  the  Pew;  January,  1929,  The  Teaching 
Method  of  Jesus  and  That  of  Today;  April,  1929,  Training 
Village  Teachers  in  Africa. 


40 


LARGER  FREEDOM 


Purpose.  To  discover  the  limitations,  social,  economic 
and  spiritual,  under  which  people  labor,  and  the  respon¬ 
sibility  of  the  church  for  knowing  about  them  and  helping 
to  prevent  or  remove  them. 

Why  is  this  issue  important? 

There  is  a  greater  demand  for  freedom  on  the  part  of 
individuals  than  ever  before.  The  necessity  of  free  choice 
for  moral  growth  is  recognized,  but  by  many  this  doctrine 
is  pushed  to  extremes.  Self-expression  is  considered  an 
end  in  itself ;  repressions  are  declared  to  be  injurious. 
People  value  life  for  the  kick  they  can  get  out  of  it. 

Socially,  there  is  a  reaction  against  paternal  authority, 
personal  restrictions,  class  differences.  We  have  a  revolt 
of  youth,  impatience  with  social  codes,  demands  for  demo¬ 
cratic  treatment. 

Economically,  standards  of  living  are  rising,  but  this  has 
always  only  increased  discontent  with  conditions  that  seem 
unreasonable.  Abnormal  surroundings  and  clever  adver¬ 
tising  stimulate  artificial  wants.  Labor  demands  larger 
recognition,  and  nations  and  classes  resent  the  exploitation 
which  their  position  invites. 

Politically,  enfranchisement  has  advanced  rapidly  in  the 
last  half  century,  so  that  it  is  being  taken  for  granted  as 
a  right.  Self-determination  has  become  a  universal  ideal. 

Religiously,  the  power  of  authority  is  waning.  There  is 
more  appeal  to  individual  judgment  based  on  evidence  and 
experience,  and  to  an  individual  desire  for  the  highest 
satisfactions. 


41 


This  great  tidal  wave  of  human  urge  represents  more 
than  abnormal  craving.  It  stands  for  impulses  which  Chris¬ 
tianity  has  in  some  cases  helped  to  create,  and  with  which 
it  must  sympathize.  Many  are  being  cramped  in  their  best 
development  and  opportunities  for  service  today  by  the 
social,  economic,  political  and  spiritual  barriers  which  have 
been  created  by  status  or  circumstances  and  have  resulted 
in  limitations  of  health,  social  mobility  and  contacts,  earn¬ 
ing  opportunities,  and  spiritual  growth.  These  barriers  may 
impede  the  individual  either  as  an  individual  or  as  a  mem¬ 
ber  of  a  class,  nation,  or  race.  Social  barriers  are  parental 
repression  in  the  family,  discrimination  against  women, 
class  exclusiveness,  race  prejudice. 

Economic  barriers  are  those  of  individual  poverty  (which 
under  our  present  system  shut  out  poor  people  from  many 
privileges),  restrictions  arising  from  modern  business  reg¬ 
ulations  and  incident  to  the  contests  between  capital  and 
labor,  economic  discrimination  against  other  races  or 
classes,  exploitation  of  them. 

Political  barriers  are  those  of  repression  of  political 
heterodoxy,  race  disfranchisement,  restriction  of  immigra¬ 
tion. 

Spiritual  barriers  are  those  of  intolerance,  and  segre¬ 
gation  of  denominations  and  of  races. 

Some  of  these  barriers  have  a  certain  amount  of  justifica¬ 
tion.  Some  derive  their  standing  mainly  from  inherited 
tradition,  others  from  present  urges.  Freedom  is  not  mere 
license,  and  those  incapable  of  wise  self-control  may  need 
restrictions;  therefore  some  difficult  problems  arise.  On 
the  other  hand,  many  of  the  present  barriers  are  unneces¬ 
sary.  Those  who  have  never  been  trained  or  permitted 
to  exercise  normal  freedom  are  on  the  one  hand  perma¬ 
nently  stunted,  and  on  the  other  tempted  to  crude  and 


42 


extreme  reactions  which  lead  to  further  loss.  The  evils  of 
license  are  largely  due  to  lack  of  that  true  freedom  which 
involves  self-control. 

Study  and  personal  investigation  will  reveal  many  illus¬ 
trations  of  all  this.  Such  study  should  include  comparison 
of  the  conditions  in  which  different  classes  and  races  live. 
The  most  severe  burdens  rest  on  the  poor,  especially  on 
nations  and  races  living  under  lower  economic  standards. 
Compare  in  detail  the  barriers  encountered  by  a  poor  Negro 
boy  and  by  the  son  of  a  wealthy  and  prominent  family  who 
has  no  greater  individual  ability. 

Conditions  of  modern  life  are  in  many  ways  tending  to 
remove  the  various  barriers.  In  some  cases,  however,  stress 
of  competition  is  making  them  greater.  In  any  event  an 
enormous  amount  remains  to  be  done. 

The  situation  in  backward  countries  needs  special  study. 
Conditions  cannot  be  accurately  estimated  by  the  status 
of  the  progressive  leaders,  who  form  as  yet  only  a  tiny 
fraction  of  the  population.  How  fast  and  under  what  cir¬ 
cumstances  can  these  nations  abandon  their  race  traditions  ? 
How  can  they  obtain  the  capital  necessary  for  economic 
development  without  subjecting  themselves  to  exploita¬ 
tion? 

Among  constructive  measures  the  work  of  the  Inter¬ 
national  Labor  Office  at  Geneva  should  be  noted.  In 
attaining  larger  freedom,  constructive  education  and  not 
mere  removal  of  restrictions  will  be  necessary. 

References 

ON  CONDITIONS  IN  THIS  COUNTRY 

Davis  and  Barnes :  Introduction  to  Sociology,  part  IV,  chs.  2, 

4,  8. 

Williams :  lVhat*s  on  the  Worker’s  Mindf 


43 


Williams :  Mainsprings  of  Men. 

Fitch:  Causes  of  Industrial  Unrest. 

Parker:  The  Casual  Laborer. 

Steiner:  The  American  Community  in  Action. 

Douglas,  Hitchcock  and  Atkins:  The  Worker  in  Modern  Eco¬ 
nomic  Society,  chs.  11,  17-21. 

McKenzie :  Oriental  Exclusion. 

Minis:  The  Japanese  Problem  in  the  United  States. 

Cohen :  Out  of  the  Shadow. 

Wembridge:  Other  People’s  Daughters. 

Moton :  What  the  Negro  Thinks. 

Du  Bois :  Souls  of  Black  Folk. 

ON  INTERNATIONAL  RELATIONS 

Buell :  International  Relations. 

Moon:  Imperialism  and  World  Politics. 

Donaldson :  International  Economic  Relations. 

ON  CONDITIONS  IN  OTHER  COUNTRIES 

The  Christian  Movement  in  Japan,  1924,  ch.  21;  1925,  chs.  3-4; 
1926,  chs.  12-14;  Japan  Mission  Year  Book,  1927,  chs.  3  and  11, 
pp.  289-296. 

Faust:  The  New  Japanese  Wo'tnanhood. 

Williams:  China  Yesterday  and  Today,  chs.  3-6. 

Hodgkin :  China  in  the  Family  of  Nations,  ch.  10. 

Anderson :  Humanity  and  Labor  in  China,  ch.  3,  pp.  96-98,  chs. 
6-7. 

Women  in  Industry  in  the  Orient.  (Womans  Press.) 

Burton :  New  Paths  for  Old  Purposes,  chs.  2  and  3. 

Report  of  the  Shanghai  Conference  of  1922,  pp.  329-346,  461-479. 
China  Mission  Year  Book,  1924,  ch.  5,  part  IX ;  1925,  part  I, 
chs.  3-6,  part  IX ;  1926,  part  VI ;  1928,  ch.  3,  part  VI. 

Gamble  and  Burgess :  Peking,  A  Social  Survey,  ch.  10. 

China  Today  Through  Chinese  Eyes,  Second  Series,  ch.  2. 
Phillips :  The  Outcaste’s  Hope. 

Holland:  The  Goal  of  India,  chs.  4  and  6. 

The  Indian  Outlook,  chs.  2,  4-5. 

Zimand :  Living  India,  chs.  5-6,  part  III. 

Mears :  Modern  Turkey,  chs.  16,  17,  6. 

Toynbee  and  Kirkwood:  Turkey,  chs.  8-9. 

Harrison:  The  Arab  at  Home,  ch.  4. 

Mott,  ed. :  The  Moslem  World  of  Today,  chs.  5,  14-16. 
International  Review  of  Missions,  October,  1927,  Eastern  Indus- 


44 


trialism  and  the  Christian  Mission;  October,  1928,  Turkish 
Women  and  Pioneers ;  also  Economic  Development  and  the 
Welfare  of  Natives. 


PAMPHLETS 

Barnes:  Militarising  of  Youth.  Committee  on  Militarism  in 
Education. 

Child  Labor  Facts.  National  Child  Labor  Committee. 

The  Coal  Strike  in  Pennsylvania.  Federal  Council  of  Churches. 
Page :  Collective  Bargaining.  Doran. 

Youmans:  Kindergartens  of  Crime.  Juvenile  Protective  Asso¬ 
ciation. 

Eddy :  Religion  and  Social  Justice.  Doran. 

Laidler :  Public  Ownership.  League  for  Industrial  Democracy. 
Thomas:  What  is  Industrial  Democracy?  League  for  Industrial 
Democracy. 


45 


CLOSER  FELLOWSHIP 


Purpose,  To  discover  the  implications  of  Christianity 
as  bearing  on  the  closer  fellowship  of  all  races,  nations, 
and  classes,  and  the  responsibility  of  the  church  for  leader¬ 
ship  in  this  field. 

This  subject  is  closely  connected  with  the  preceding  one. 
For  practical  purposes  the  division  may  be  made  between 
the  negative  and  positive  aspects  of  human  intercourse. 
Under  Larger  Freedom  we  considered  mainly  the  hin¬ 
drances  that  need  to  be  removed ;  under  Closer  Fellowship 
the  constructive  effort  needed  to  bring  people  together. 
Even  where  no  external  barriers  exist,  our  associations 
tend  to  become  stereotyped  and  narrow.  Many  families 
are  close  corporations,  and  the  same  is  true  of  social 
groups  and  vocational  and  church  organizations.  Preju¬ 
dice  of  locality,  nationality,  class,  or  race  keep  apart  people 
who  might  and  should  mingle.  Moreover,  fellowship  will 
be  necessary  for  the  removal  of  barriers.  Only  as  these 
are  approached  from  both  sides  in  a  spirit  of  trust  and 
cooperation  can  they  be  successfully  attacked. 

Among  the  types  of  fellowship  that  are  needed  are  those 
based  on  residence,  with  neighbors  and  other  members  of 
the  community ;  on  vocation,  with  those  in  the  same  occu¬ 
pation  or  plant;  on  membership  in  an  organization,  with 
fellow  members  and  other  organizations ;  on  church  mem¬ 
bership,  with  other  churches  and  denominations ;  on 
national  and  international  citizenship,  with  other  classes, 
races,  and  nations. 

The  loss  from  lack  of  fellowship  is  less  easily  appre- 


46 


dated  than  that  from  actual  barriers,  because  people  often 
suffer  no  discomfort  from  and  may  even  find  satisfaction 
in  their  isolation.  But  the  loss  is  none  the  less  real — possi¬ 
bilities  of  growth  through  enlarged  interests,  sympathies, 
exchange  of  ideas  and  friendships.  Other  lives  lose  the 
service  that  we  might  render  them.  The  world  loses  the 
helpful  results  that  can  come  only  through  cooperation. 
What  is  true  of  individuals  is  also  true  of  groups  of  all 
sizes.  Fellowship  may  expand  possibilities  in  geometrical 
ratio.  We  can  understand  what  is  lost  only  as  we  study 
what  has  been  gained  through  cooperation. 

We  need  comparison  of  conditions  in  which  different 
groups  live.  Those  persons  frequently  have  most  fellow¬ 
ship  who  need  it  least.  The  privileged  in  other  ways  are 
likely  to  be  privileged  in  this  also.  Those  who  have  least 
to  gain  may  have  most  to  give  and  may  gain  most  in  giving. 
A  study  of  the  community  will  reveal  instances  of  great 
disparity  in  fruitful  fellowships.  This  difference  will  be 
still  more  marked  throughout  the  nation  and  the  world. 

Especially  conditions  in  backward  countries  indicate 
more  acute  needs.  Other  races  have  become  exasperated 
at  the  superiority  complex  of  the  white  race.  Such  inci¬ 
dents  as  those  of  Denshawi,  Amritsar,  Shanghai,  and 
Nanking  have  increased  the  tension.  The  fact  that  some 
of  these  countries  have  internal  antagonisms  does  not 
excuse  an  unsympathetic  attitude  on  the  part  of  Western 
peoples. 

There  are  influences  in  modern  life  which  render  the 
situation  more  difficult.  Race  prejudice  is  more  apparent 
than  it  was  a  few  centuries  ago.  The  recent  revival  of 
nationalism  has  given  it  reinforcement.  Fear  of  lower 
economic  standards  intensifies  the  prejudice  of  the  white 


47 


races,  and  fear  of  economic  imperialism  the  prejudice  of 
the  colored. 

The  organizations,  national  and  international,  for  pro¬ 
moting  fellowship  need  our  study  and  support.  They  fur¬ 
nish  opportunities  both  for  enlarging  our  personal  con¬ 
tacts  and  for  helping  others  by  proxy  whom  we  shall  never 
meet.  We  all  have  responsibility  for  creating  fellowship 
with  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men.  The  best  construc¬ 
tive  service  we  can  render  may  be  with  individuals. 

References 

ON  THE  GENERAL  FIELD 

Oldham :  Christianity  and  the  Race  Problem. 

Miller :  Races,  Nations  and  Classes. 

Hankins :  The  Racial  Basis  of  Civilisation. 

Davis  and  Barnes :  Introduction  to  Sociology,  part  IV,  ch.  7. 
Mathews :  The  Clash  of  Color. 

Speer ;  Of  One  Blood. 

Leiper :  Blind  Spots. 

Bate:  Faith  and  Order. 

Ellwood :  Reconstruction  of  Religion. 

ON  NEGRO  EDUCATION 

Jerusalem  Report,  vol.  IV. 

Reuter :  The  American  Race  Problem. 

Moton :  What  the  Negro  Thinks. 

Du  Bois :  Souls  of  Black  Folk. 

Haynes:  The  Trend  of  the  Race. 

Hammond :  In  the  Vanguard  of  a  Race. 

ON  SPECIFIC  COUNTRIES 

The  Christian  Movement  in  Japan,  1924,  part  VH ;  1926,  chs.  6, 
11-13;  Japan  Mission  Year  Book,  1927,  pp.  265-272,  288-289. 
Murao  and  Walton:  Japan  and  Christ,  chs.  7-8. 

Stauffer,  ed. :  Japan  Speaks  for  Herself. 

Sugimoto :  A  Daughter  of  the  Samurai. 

Hodgkin:  China  in  the  Family  of  Nations,  ch.  11. 

Burton:  New  Paths  for  Old  Purposes,  chs.  4-6. 


48 


Report  of  the  Shanghai  Conference  of  1922,  pp.  538-602. 

China  Mission  Year  Book,  1925,  chs.  11,  4;  1926,  Part  I,  chs.  10, 
14,  19;  1928,  chs.  1,  14. 

Stauffer,  ed. :  China  Her  Own  Interpreter. 

Gamble  and  Burgess :  Peking,  A  Social  Survey. 

Fleming :  Building  With  India,  ch.  4. 

Holland :  The  Indian  Outlook,  ch.  3. 

Stauffer,  ed. :  An  Indian  Approach  to  India. 

Stauffer,  ed. :  Voices  from  the  Near  East. 

Buell;  The  Native  Problem  in  Africa. 

Evans :  Black  and  White  in  Southeast  Africa. 

Leys :  Kenya. 

Cotton:  The  Race  Problem  in  South  Africa. 

Stauffer,  ed. :  Thinking  with  Africa. 

Stauffer,  ed. :  As  Protestant  Latin  America  Sees  It. 

Laubach :  The  People  of  the  Philippines,  chs.  25-27,  30. 

PAMPHLETS 

Christianity  and  the  Race  Problem,  Oldham.  (Abridged.)  Doran. 
Church  Women  at  Work  on  the  Race  Problem.  Federal  Council 
of  Churches.  (Free.) 

International  Review  of  Missions,  January,  1928,  Church  Union; 
October,  1928,  The  Younger  and  Older  Churches. 


49 


THE  VISION  OF  GOD 


Purpose.  To  discover  what  is  involved  in  the  vision  of 
God,  and  how  the  church  can  help  to  realize  it  and  trans¬ 
mit  it  more  effectively. 

What  do  we  mean  by  the  vision  of  God  ? 

We  cannot  have  a  direct  vision  of  God,  who  is  invisible. 
If  it  would  do  us  any  good  to  have  such  a  vision,  God 
would  become  visible.  But  we  can  have  in  an  increasing 
degree  the  vision  of  God  in  another  sense,  a  sharing  of  his 
outlook,  a  fuller  understanding  of  what  he  sees  and  how 
he  sees  it.  By  this  we  come  to  a  comprehension  of  the 
most  essential  elements  of  God’s  character,  his  purpose 
and  love  for  all  mankind.  The  mere  greatness  and  power 
of  God  without  these  would  be  only  a  cosmic  and  not  a 
moral  or  spiritual  revelation.  The  vision  of  God  has  most 
significance  when  it  represents  not  looking  at  God,  but 
looking  with  him  and  in  his  spirit  at  the  world. 

Why  is  this  issue  important? 

Because  if  God’s  kingdom  is  to  come  and  his  will  be 
done  on  earth,  it  must  be  through  us.  We  are  the  lips 
and  hands  of  God,  on  whom  he  is  depending  for  the  real¬ 
ization  of  his  kingdom  and  the  execution  of  his  will.  It  is 
therefore  absolutely  essential  that  we  should  have  this 
vision  of  the  ideal  kingdom  and  of  the  content  of  God’s 
will,  of  the  specific  tasks  and  the  hindrances.  This  is  dif¬ 
ferent  from  the  view  of  Christianity  which  thinks  of  us 
as  passive  recipients  of  God’s  grace,  vessels  instead  of 
channels,  terminals  instead  of  way  stations.  We  are 
dependent  on  the  grace  of  God  for  impulse  and  power,  but 


50 


we  profit  by  it  only  as  we  become  its  instruments  in  serv¬ 
ing  the  world. 

Note  what  the  vision  of  God  meant  to  the  Hebrew 
prophets,  to  Christ,  and  to  the  apostles.  It  was  a  commis¬ 
sion  for  service,  a  new  vision  of  the  world  as  God  sees  it. 
Study  the  things  that  seem  to  attract  the  special  notice  of 
God  as  set  forth  in  the  Bible,  and  observe  how  he  regards 
them.  Consider  how  the  world  must  appear  to  God  today, 
what  things  most  arouse  his  approval  and  disapproval, 
what  needs  most  excite  his  sympathy,  in  the  success  of 
what  things  he  is  most  concerned.  Persons  whose  vision 
and  discriminations  of  these  things  is  not  keen  have  not 
truly  a  vision  of  God. 

Seeing  amounts  to  nothing  unless  we  have  norms  and 
standards  of  values.  What  we 'see  shows  what  we  are. 
We  tend  to  measure  by  our  own  limited  experiences  and 
the  public  opinion  that  surrounds  us.  We  need  a  sense  of 
perspective,  of  the  dramatic  (cf.  Hankey,  A  Student  in 
Arms,  ch.  12),  an  idea  of  how  the  situation  would  look 
to  an  unprejudiced  outsider.  The  ideal  witness  would  be 
one  whose  knowledge  was  thorough,  whose  insight  was 
keen,  whose  standard  was  high,  and  whose  sympathy  was 
deep.  Through  such  qualities  the  vision  of  God  is  attained. 

There  is  great  loss  to  us  all  in  that  we  lack  this  expert 
vision,  in  that  we  are  not  able  to  see  our  needs  in  true  per¬ 
spective  from  the  highest  standpoint,  in  that  our  aims  ter¬ 
minate  in  better  health,  more  wealth,  etc.,  without  our 
relating  these  ultimately  to  the  kingdom  of  God.  Health 
made  an  end  in  itself  results  in  well-groomed  animals  find¬ 
ing  their  main  satisfactions  in  physical  enjoyments.  Wealth 
made  an  end  in.  itself  results  in  complacency  over  eco¬ 
nomic  prosperity .^^nowledge  made  an  end  in  itself  results 
in  mere  erudition.  Freedom  made  an  end  in  itself  makes 


51 


for  license.  Even  fellowship  misses  its  best  without  God’s 
vision  of  what  is  most  worthy  to  be  exchanged  among 
mankind. 

Individuals  without  this  vision  will  not  be  highly  efficient. 
Many  are  content  with  innocuous  commerce  with  God, 
something  that  will  demand  little  and  change  them  little. 
Great  advances  have  followed  every  invention  of  su¬ 
perior  optical  instruments.  A  surgical  operation  that  would 
confer  keen  vision  on  Christians  would  make  a  different 
world. 

How  are  those  without  this  vision  to  acquire  it? 

Try  to  estimate  the  relative  opportunities  which  different 
groups  in  the  community  and  nation  have  had  in  coming 
into  personal  contact  with  winsome  examples  of  the  depth 
and  breadth  of  the  sympathy  of  God.  Study  such  cases  as 
those  mentioned  by  Mrs.  Wembridge  in  Other  People's 
Daughters.  Consider  the  instances  of  practical  spiritual 
starvation  among  those  with  large  privileges.  In  view  of 
this,  would  you  call  Christianity  an  efficient  religion  and 
the  Christian  church  an  efficient  agency? 

Consider  conditions  in  backward  countries.  Although 
many  types  of  Christianity  have  produced  no  fruits  worthy 
of  the  vision  of  God,  the  Christian  religion  as  a  whole  has 
been  richer  in  this  respect  than  have  been  the  other  religions 
of  the  world.  Fruit-bearing  as  a  result  of  fellowship  with 
God  is  written  into  the  constitution  of  Christianity  as  it  is 
not  into  those  of  other  faiths.  Stanley  Jones  gives  many 
testimonies  from  Hindus  as  to  their  lack  of  that  first-hand 
consciousness  of  God  which  transforms  the  individual  life. 
Christians  who  have  attained  the  vision  of  God  will  have 
something  to  share.  Those  who  have  not  will  neither  desire 
nor  be  able  to  share  it. 

Study  cases  of  those  of  every  race  who  have  come  into 

52 


the  splendor  of  this  vision,  and  have  had  their  lives  trans¬ 
formed  by  it.  Note  such  books  as : 

Fraser :  The  Autobiography  of  an  African. 

Burton:  Notable  Women  of  Modern  China. 

Laubach :  Seven  Thousand  E^neralds. 

Axling:  Japan  on  the  Upward  Trail. 

References 

Much  of  the  literature  on  the  subject  of  this  section 
concerns  itself  more  with  the  mystical  approach  to  God 
than  with  sharing  his  attitude  towards  the  world.  The 
importance  of  the  latter  is  being  increasingly  recognized. 
All  the  references  of  the  preceding  sections  bear  on  this 
latter  aspect. 

ON  THE  GENERAL  CHARACTER  OF  CHRISTIANITY 

Jerusalem  Report,  vol.  I. 

McConnell:  The  Christlike  God. 

Streeter :  Reality. 

Morgan :  The  Nature  and  Right  of  Religion. 

Underhill:  The  Life  of  the  Spirit  and  the  Life  of  Today. 

Raven :  A  Wanderer’s  Way. 

Glover :  The  Jesus  of  History. 

McAfee:  The  Christian  Message  and  Program. 

Fleming:  Marks  of  a  World  Christian. 

ON  THE  SITUATION  IN  OTHER  COUNTRIES 

Christian  Movement  in  Japan,  1926,  pp.  100-106 ;  Japan  Mission 
Year  Book,  1927,  chs.  3-6,  12-16,  pp.  259-265,  308-315. 

Anesaki :  Religious  and  Social  Problems  of  the  Orient. 

Murao  and  Walton:  Japan  and  Christ,  chs.  3,  9. 

Report  of  the  Shanghai  Conference  of  1922,  section  VIII,  ch.  1 ; 
section  IX. 

China  Mission  Year  Book,  1926,  ch.  11. 

Mott,  ed. :  Vital  Forces  of  Christianity  in  Islam. 

Mott,  ed. :  The  Moslem  World  of  Today,  ch.  21. 

International  Review  of  Missions,  January,  1928,  The  Christian 
Message;  July,  1928,  The  Jerusalem  Meeting  and  After;  also 
The  Jerusalem  Meeting  and  the  Christian  Message. 

53 


APPENDIX 


Suggestions  to  Sub-Committee  Members  on  the 
Course,  “Christianity’s  Supreme  Issues” 

Note.  These  Suggestions  have  been  reprinted  as  a  separate  leaflet, 
and  may  be  secured  from  the  Missionary  Education  Movement,  150 
Fifth  Avenue,  New  York  City,  at  25  cents  per  dozen,  postpaid. 

You  are  asked  to  join  in  a  cooperative  study  of  the 
responsibility  of  Christianity  for  the  great  human  needs 
of  the  -world.  The  plan  has  derived  its  original  impetus 
from  the  great  missionary  conference  held  in  Jerusalem 
in  March,  1928,  and  more  particularly  from  a  book  by 
Bishop  Francis  J.  McConnell,  Human  Needs  and  World 
Christianity.  Its  six  chapters  are  called  “Better  Health,” 
“More  Wealth,”  “Sounder  Knowledge,”  “Larger  Free¬ 
dom,”  “Closer  Fellowship,”  “The  Vision  of  God.”  These 
represent  the  most  important  of  human  needs  and  as  such 
are  supreme  issues  for  Christianity. 

The  aim  of  this  study  is  to  help  our  local  church  to  face 
its  Christian  responsibilities  for  these  world  needs  and 
in  particular  to  adopt  an  educational  program  which  shall 
prepare  for  continuous  improvement  along  these  lines. 

The  plan  herewith  presented  is  a  result  of  considerable 
criticism  and  experimentation.  Six  sub-committees  are 
being  appointed,  one  in  charge  of  each  of  the  main  topics 
mentioned  above.  You  are  asked  to  serve  on  Sub-Commit¬ 
tee  Number - for  the  special  study  of - 

- .  The  chairman  of  your  committee  is 

- who  will  call  you  together.  If 


54 


you  prefer  membership  on  some  other  sub-committee, 
please  notify  your  chairman  as  soon  as  possible  and 
arrange  for  transfer.  Each  sub-committee  will  meet  at 
least  twice  to  prepare  for  a  meeting  of  all  the  groups  of 
which  it  will  have  charge.  These  general  meetings  will 

begin  on  - .  The  date  of  the 

one  which  your  group  has  in  charge  is - 

• 

It  is  suggested  that  the  following  four  questions  be  made 
a  general  basis  for  study  and  for  discussion  in  the  general 
sessions.  The  study  should  be  broad  and  practical  in  its 
outcome. 

1.  Why  is  this  subject  a  supreme  issue  in  the  world 
at  the  present  time  ?  The  answer  to  this  may  be  presented 
in  the  form  of  a  logical  statement,  of  concrete  narrative  or 
description,  or  of  statistical  charts  presented  so  as  to  bring 
out  perspective. 

2.  To  what  extent  is  the  Christian  church  in  general 
and  are  we  in  particular  responsible  for  meeting  these 
needs  ? 

3.  How  should  we  supplement  the  present  educational 
program  of  our  church  in  order  to  meet  our  responsibilities 
more  effectively  ? 

4.  What  specific  projects  can  we  undertake,  local  and 
worldwide  ? 

The  purpose  of  the  first  meeting  of  your  sub-committee 
will  be  to  discover  what  ideas  and  information  are  avail¬ 
able,  and  to  prepare  for  study.  Each  member  will  be 
assigned  something  to  look  up.  At  the  second  meeting 
more  specific  preparation  will  be  made  for  effective  dis¬ 
cussion  at  the  general  sessions  of  the  four  questions  stated 
above.  It  may  be  that  an  additional  meeting  of  the  group 


55 


will  be  found  desirable  in  order  to  prepare  for  the  general 
session. 

The  aim  of  the  general  session  of  which  you  have  charge 
will  be  to  create  adequate  convictions  of  the  place  your  sub¬ 
ject  should  have  in  the  thought  and  educational  program 
of  the  church,  and  to  enrich  your  own  thinking  by  the  dis¬ 
cussion. 

After  this  meeting  your  group  should  continue  to  study 
and  begin  to  prepare  for  specific  educational  projects  in 
the  church  or  community. 

References 

The  following  references  are  suggested  for  members  of  the 
different  groups,  as  furnishing  an  introduction  to  their  respective 
subjects. 

BETTER  HEALTH 

The  World  Mission  of  Christianity,  ch.  9. 

Jerusalem  Report,  vol.  IV,  pp.  63  ff . ;  vol.  V,  pp.  23  and  73 ; 

vol.  VIII,  ch.  12. 

McConnell,  ch.  1. 

MORE  WEALTH 

Roads  to  the  City  of  God,  ch.  6-7. 

The  World  Mission  of  Christianity,  chs.  6-7. 

A  Faith  for  the  World,  ch.  7. 

Jerusalem  Report,  vol.  IV,  pp.  50  ff. ;  ch.  3 ;  vol.  V,  especially 
chs.  1,  3,  5,  6;  vol.  VI,  especially  chs.  4,  6,  10. 

McConnell,  ch.  2. 

SOUNDER  KNOWLEDGE 

Roads  to  the  City  of  God,  ch.  8. 

The  World  Mission  of  Christianity,  ch.  2. 

A  Faith  for  the  World,  ch.  6. 

Jerusalem  Report,  vol.  II ;  vol.  Ill,  ch.  7 ;  vol.  IV,  pp.  22,  38, 
165 ;  vol.  V,  p.  81 ;  vol.  VI,  pp.  20,  40  ff.,  151,  169,  197  ff.,  248. 
McConnell,  ch.  3. 

LARGER  FREEDOM 

Roads  to  the  City  of  God,  ch.  6. 

The  World  Mission  of  Christianity,  ch.  6. 

A  Faith  for  the  World,  ch.  7. 


56 


Jerusalem  Report,  vol.  IV,  pp.  58,  93  f¥.,  120,  140,  185 ;  vol.  V, 
five  statements,  especially  that  by  Tawney;  vol.  VI,  pp.  10, 
128,  147,  186;  vol.  VIII,  chs.  6  and  17. 

McConnell,  ch.  4. 

CLOSER  FELLOWSHIP 

Roads  to  the  City  of  God,  chs.  4-5. 

The  World  Mission  of  Christianity,  chs.  3-5. 

A  Faith  for  the  World,  chsj  4,  5  and  8. 

Jerusalem  Report,  vol.  I,  pp.  80,  228,  338;  vol.  Ill,  general 
statement  by  Warnshuis,  summary  by  Silcock,  Indian  view  by 
Philip;  vol.  IV,  Race  Problem  in  the  United  States,  In  South 
Africa;  vol.  V,  many  constructive  statements  in  connection 
with  the  criticism  of  present  conditions;  vol.  VI,  pp.  14  ff., 
122,  134,  248. 

McConnell,  ch.  5. 

THE  VISION  OF  GOD 

Roads  to  the  City  of  God,  chs.  3  and  9. 

The  World  Mission  of  Christianity,  ch.  1. 

A  Faith  for  the  World,  introduction  and  chs.  1-3. 

Jerusalem  Report,  vol.  I,  The  Christian  Message — note  the 
special  obstacles  which  other  religions  present  today  to  the 
acceptance  of  Christianity,  especially  ch.  7  on  secularism.  A 
variety  of  views,  some  more  conservative,  are  expressed  in 
parts  II-IV.  Vol.  VIII,  chs.  9-10. 

McConnell,  ch.  6. 


57 


I 


d'.’ 


1.’. 


'•5 

'V- 


